Scholarships for black men typically are based on financial need and academic excellence. Many Historically Black Colleges and Universities or HBCUs provide college scholarships. Also Black men may qualify for other merit and need based awards at an accredited college in the United States. As an applicant, you might need a minimum GPA and plan on full time enrollment. To help make your application stand out, a well thought out essay, community service work, and solid references may help. It is also smart to apply before the deadline in case there’s a limit on funding.
There are also organizations that partner with HBCUs and have programs to help high school students and undergrads. For example, the Alvaro L. Martins Scholarship is for high achieving black men undergraduate students. You must be attending a HBCU. Ten eligible students receive $8,000 each while eight other scholars receive $5,000.
Many states also offer financial help to black male students. Some use the FAFSA but may have their own deadlines and forms. For example, the Florida Minority Teacher Education Scholarship is for Florida residents. You must be pursuing a bachelor’s degree. You also need to be enrolled in an approved teacher education program.
Schools also use the results of the FAFSA to award need based scholarships to black men. You typically need to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Eligible students may qualify for a federal Pell Grant in addition to other financial aid.
10 Scholarships for Black Men You Should Apply for in 2021
We curated a list of scholarships for black male students. There are a wide range of scholarships for black men that you may qualify for. If you meet the eligibility, fill out an application and apply before the deadline.
Ron Brown Scholarship
UNCF STEM Scholarship
Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship
Annual Diversity Scholarship
National Black Nurses Association Scholarship Program
NACME Collegiate Scholarship (Block Grant)
Black Community Scholarship Fund
Thurgood Marshall Scholarship
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Scholarship
Black Men Building Resources Scholarship
Where Could You Find Scholarships?
Many national Black organizations offer scholarship programs to see black men succeed in college. UNCF, NAACP and other organizations have annual scholarship opportunities for both high school and college students. You may also look at nonprofits, corporations, and churches. It’s also important to look within your local community and school. Here is a list of Black organizations who support higher education for Black men through scholarship funds:
AABE – American Association of Blacks in Energy
CBCF – Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
NAACP – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
NBMBAA – National Black MBA Association Inc.
NSBE – National Society of Black Engineers
UNCF – United Negro College Fund
TMCF – Thurgood Marshall College Fund
How Do Scholarships Help Black Students Pay for College?
A scholarship for black students may be useful due to the rising cost of a college education. Selected recipients may use the funds to pay for tuition, fees, room and board. It is financial assistance in the form of a monetary gift. So it may reduce your need to borrow student loans.
According to NCES study, the average tuition cost about $17,797 per year at a public four year college. Rates for tuition, fees, room, and board were higher at private colleges. At a nonprofit private college average tuition was about $46,014. In comparison, for profit college tuition costs was about $26,261.
Another benefit of a college degree may lead to job prospects and earning potential. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists 169 jobs where one needs a bachelor’s degree for an entry level role. Salaries may vary but tend to be higher than those with a high school diploma.
What College Scholarships Are Available for Black Males?
Black men majoring STEM, business, medicine, and other fields may find unique scholarships. Check out the Hubertus W.V. Willems Scholarship. It’s open to black men studying engineering, chemistry, physics, and mathematical sciences. Eligible undergrad and graduate students may receive a $3,000 award.
When applying for colleges, high school seniors may be automatically considered upon admission. The Ron Brown Scholar Program is an annual scholarship that awards up to $40,000. These tend to be for U.S. citizen / permanent residents.
Financial support for community college and career school students may exist too. If you are a full time sophomore, junior or senior at a TMCF partner school, check out the Loewe’s Scholarship. It awards up to $7,500 to eligible students with unpaid school balance.
There are plenty of scholarships for master’s and PhD degree programs. Many are in fields like healthcare where you may be attending medical school. One to look into is the Buckfire & Buckfire Medical School Diversity Scholarship. This $2,000 award is for medical students who promote ethnic diversity within their community.
If you are looking specifically for an athletic scholarship, you may need to contact a school’s athletic department. One HBCU with full and partial sports scholarships is Hampton University. Student athletes must keep up their academic standing and make progress towards their college degree.
List of Scholarships for Black Men
Check out our list of 2,640 scholarships for black men worth $18M.
Honeywell partners with the National Society of Black Engineers to award eighteen college scholarships to eligible Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Students.
Lockheed Martin solves technology problems and partners with the National Society of Black Engineers to award four college scholarships to eligible Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Industrial/Systems Engineering students.
This scholarship will assist current African-American undergraduate sophomores who are current residents of Atlanta, Boston, or the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina and are pursuing a major in Business Administration, Consulting, Energy, Finance or Accounting, Human Resources, IT or Technology at an accredited four-year college or university.
Lutheran Family Services has received a $3,000,000 gift to establish the Coyner and Donna Smith Diversity Scholarship Fund to provide a college education for graduating high school seniors from low-income, minority families who are residents of Nebraska.
Established in 2003, the HBCU Council of Shiloh Baptist Church offers the Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith HBCU Scholarship Award of $2,000 to an incoming freshman at an HBCU with a minimum GPA of 3.5.
The HBCU Council of Shiloh Baptist Church offers the Carolyn M. Harris HBCU Scholarship Award of $1,000 to an incoming freshman at an HBCU with a minimum GPA of 2.5 who is a member of a musical group or (music) education major.
The HBCU Council of Shiloh Baptist Church offers the Heritage HBCU Scholarship Award of $2,000 to an incoming freshman at an HBCU with a minimum GPA of 2.5 on the basis of financial need.
The HBCU Council of Shiloh Baptist Church offers the Evelyn Hider A & B HBCU Scholarship Awards to two incoming freshmen at an HBCU with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and financial need.
This scholarship is open to U.S. students who are enrolled at an HBCU (Historically Black College/University) pursuing an undergraduate degree in the sciences with the intention of pursuing that discipline as a career. Students must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
The Era L. and Francis L. Walker Scholarship is a named scholarship from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois that aims to help African American males who are graduating high school seniors from a Rockford Public School to pursue higher education.
