Top 127 Scholarships for Black Students in September 2023

Open to any BIPOC and/or female high school senior or undergraduate who is a first-generation, low-income student interested in STEM.

The Hester Richardson Powell Memorial Service Scholarship celebrates the life of a remarkable woman who overcame adversity to inspire others. Hester's legacy as a devoted mother, educator, and community leader lives on through this scholarship, which supports female African American high school seniors with a 2.7 GPA or higher. To apply, share your story of resilience and how you've inspired others. Join in on honoring Hester's spirit of love and service.

The Mark A. Jefferson Teaching Scholarship knows that diversity in education is crucial for the advancement of society and the success of future generations. Thus, it aims to address the lack of representation in the teaching workforce by supporting ambitious African-American males who aspire to become educators. In public schools, the teaching force is predominantly white, with only 2% being Black men. This scholarship recognizes the importance of having educators with diverse backgrounds who can unravel the complexities of our world and dismantle systemic barriers in communities of color. To be eligible, applicants must be African American males with a minimum GPA of 2.8 and a strong desire to make a positive impact on the world through their career as an educator. By fostering an inclusive environment and instilling a love for learning, these future educators will shape the minds of students, ensuring a more equitable tomorrow for all.

Are you a Black or African American U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is currently a high school senior? Furthermore, are you planning on soon attending college and have an interest in global entrepreneurship and/or community engagement? If that sounds like you, consider applying for the Ron Brown scholarship! Dedicated to supporting community-minded and intellectually gifted African Americans, the scholarship awards $40,000 scholarships to 45-50 hardworking students each year. The scholarship is awarded over the course of one’s four-year undergraduate career, offering $10,000 per year. Winners must be planning on attending accredited four-year universities in the United States. In order to apply, applicants must submit two 500-word essays, transcripts, and two letters of recommendation. If you’re passionate about community engagement and want some help paying for college, we encourage you to apply! Bear in mind that this scholarship opens in September and has two annual deadlines. The deadlines are November 1st (to have your application be considered for the Ron Brown Scholar Program AND forwarded to a select and limited number of additional scholarship providers) and January 9th (final deadline in order to be considered for only the Ron Brown Scholar Program).

The TLF Undergraduate Scholarships are open to minority students studying advertising, marketing, public relations, or a related field. This scholarship is funded by The LAGRANT Foundation, an organization dedicated to increasing diversity in the above mentioned fields. In order to support this goal, all 30 scholarship winners receive academic support and professional guidance for a year after being given their $2,000 award. If you’re a minority student passionate about advertising, marketing, and/or public relations, we encourage you to apply!

Every year, the American Chemical Society Scholars Program awards renewable scholarships to high school seniors and college undergraduates from historically underrepresented groups. Well-informed about the costs of hefty university tuition fees and funds needed to acquire appropriate lab equipment, the American Chemical Society aims to alleviate some of these expenses for a few lucky students each year. Applicants to the program must be currently planning or intending to study the chemical sciences in college and pursue chemistry-related careers. If you plan on studying chemistry and want a solution to heavy college costs, we encourage you to apply! Bear in mind that this scholarship runs from December 1st to March 1st every year.

Easy scholarship open to all high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year.

Sallie Mae will award $2,000 each month to eligible entrants. No essay or account sign-ups, just a simple scholarship for those seeking help paying for school.

Open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students.

The Foundation Education Award Scholarship is looking to help medical students from diverse backgrounds fund their medical school costs. Applicants who are African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, or Southeast Asian are eligible to apply. In addition, you must be a Pennsylvania resident for at least 12 months prior to registering as a medical student and be enrolled full-time in an accredited Pennsylvania medical school. If you're a Pennsylvania medical school student from an underrepresented background, don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to further your education and career! Keep on reading to learn more.

The NSHSS Foundation STEM Scholarship is for recently graduated (in the most recent, completed academic year) high school seniors who belong to an underrepresented group and have a demonstrated desire to major in or pursue a degree in STEM or a related field. To find out if your major is eligible, please visit the NSHSS website for the list of eligible STEM disciplines. To apply, students must submit one to two educator recommendations, as well as a personal statement, transcript, and headshot. If you're an underrepresented student passionate about STEM or a related field, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more.

Are you a minority student and NASP member pursuing a career in school psychology? If so, consider applying for the NASP-ERT Minority Scholarship Program! This scholarship is open to minority graduate students enrolled in or accepted for enrollment in a school psychology program that is NASP-approved. It is funded by the National Association of School Psychologists, one of the world’s largest organizations of school psychologists that works to advance effective practices to improve students' learning, behavior, and mental health. The program seeks to lower financial barriers to training and to highlight the accomplishments of promising future professionals by supporting culturally diverse graduate students who will eventually provide school-based services to diverse student populations. Each year, the program grants $5,000 awards to help lucky students pay for their graduate school costs. If you’re a minority student passionate about being a School Psychologist, we encourage you to apply!

The Actuarial Scholarship for Minority Students annually awards $5,000 to multiple full-time undergraduate minority students who are pursuing an actuarial or mathematics-related degree. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, recipients of asylee or refugee status by the Department of Homeland Security – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, or temporary residents under the 1986 Amnesty Programs. If chosen for the scholarship, recipients must be willing to relocate to Omaha for the upcoming summer (May-August) to complete an internship at Mutual of Omaha's home office. If this scholarship sounds like a fit for you, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading for more application details.

Are you a high achieving Black, college junior who aspires to work off-camera in the entertainment industry? If so, The Walt Disney Company/UNCF Enhanced Corporate Scholarship could be a great opportunity for you! Dedicated to helping high-achieving African-American students across the country, the scholarship offers relevant career readiness tools to help students learn about potential career paths in the entertainment industry. Winners will receive the opportunity to complete a summer internship with the Walt Disney Company, as well as a $5,000 scholarship to use towards educational expenses. Students must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA to apply.  If you fit the scholarship criteria and are passionate about the entertainment industry, we encourage you to apply for the Walt Disney Company/UNCF Enhanced Corporate Scholarship!

The Rizing Tide Surge Scholarship is a fantastic opportunity for graduating physical therapy students or licensed physical therapists from underrepresented racial and/or ethnic backgrounds who are entering an ABPTRFE-certified residency program. Two Surge scholarships will be awarded, each providing a one-time payment of up to $10,000 to cover any residency expenses. Don't miss out on this chance to advance your career and make a difference in your community!

The TE Connectivity African Heritage Scholarship Program is a two-year scholarship program open to Black college sophomores and juniors who are majoring in Engineering, Operations Management, Finance, Supply Chain, or Marketing. Every year, their TE Connectivity African Heritage Scholarship Program chooses multiple recipients to receive up to $22,500 per year of the scholarship program. Bear in mind that recipients must be willing to accept a full-time, in-person, paid summer internship with TE Connectivity in the summer following the scholarship deadline. If this scholarship sounds like a fit for you, keep on reading for more application details!

The Medical Library Association (MLA) is proud to offer the MLA Scholarship for Underrepresented Students. This annual scholarship recognizes a student who demonstrates exceptional scholarship and potential in health sciences librarianship. The recipient will be announced at the MLA's annual conference and will receive a one-year MLA student membership and free inclusive student registration. To be eligible, applicants must belong to an underrepresented ethnic or racial group and be entering a master's program at an American Library Association-accredited graduate library school or have completed no more than half of the academic requirements. Some eligible ethnic groups include Black/African-American, Latinx, Asian, Aboriginal, North American Indian or Alaskan Native, or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. If you're eligible, apply to take advantage of this incredible opportunity!

The APTA Minority Scholarship Award is funded by the American Physical Therapy Association, an organization of physical therapists dedicated to building a community that advances the profession of physical therapy to improve the health of society. Every year, their APTA Minority Scholarship Award grants up to $5,000 to multiple minority physical therapist students and minority physical therapist assistant students. If this scholarship sounds like a fit for you, keep on reading for more application details.

The Del Jones Memorial Travel Award was established to honor Del Jones, a distinguished member of SfAA (Society for Applied Anthropology) and an African American anthropologist who developed perspectives that could assist and transform the lives of oppressed and disadvantaged peoples. Following his death in 1999, close friends and members of the Society established the Del Jones Memorial Fund. This award supports a travel grant of $500 for a student to attend the annual meeting of the SfAA. The Del Jones Travel Award is intended to increase minority participation in SfAA, particularly African American participation, but also to honor the life and work of Del Jones independently of the minority criterion. The winning paper will best reflect the contributions and/or life experiences of Del Jones. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.

Are you a graduating, minority high school senior who demonstrates both academic excellence and financial need? If so, consider applying for the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) Scholarship! Each year, the scholarship awards winning applicants up to $35,000 over the course of four years. In addition to the monetary award, winners will be invited to JRF’s annual four-day “Mentoring and Leadership Conference” in New York City. Lastly, winners will receive four years' worth of a comprehensive program that includes career guidance, internship and job placement, and more. The scholarship is offered by the Jackie Robinson Foundation, an organization founded by Rachel Robinson in honor of her late husband. It was created with the goal of helping sponsor and support the education of talented young, minority youth.  If you’re an academically exceptional minority high school senior with plans to enroll in a U.S. college, we encourage you to apply! Bear in mind that the scholarship cycle runs from September to January of each year.

The McKnight Doctoral Fellowship program is designed to address the underrepresentation of African American and Hispanic faculty at colleges and universities in the state of Florida by increasing the pool of citizens qualified with Ph.D. degrees to teach at the college and university levels. As a by-product, it is expected that employment opportunities in industry will also be expanded.

Are you a graduate student from an underrepresented minority group who is committed to improving communities of color, particularly communities of African descent? If so, you might consider applying for the APF Queen-Nellie Evans Scholarship! The APF Queen-Nellie Evans Scholarship is open to minority graduate students enrolled in accredited master's or doctoral programs. This scholarship is funded by the American Psychological Foundation, a grant-making organization that funds early career psychologists and graduate students. Each year, one lucky student is awarded the scholarship to help pay for their graduate studies with a focus on improving the disparity and issues that negatively impact communities of color. If you’re passionate about psychology and are looking for some help funding your graduate studies, we encourage you to apply!