“Scholarship Resources For Minority Students”
A number of Internet resources exist to help minority students find scholarships to help pay for college. Work with your high school guidance counselor. In addition to checking out the Web sites, you might also want to check out such directories as The Hispanic Scholarship Directory, Directory of Financial Aid for Minorities, Black Excel African American Student’s College Guide and others found in the reference section of the public library. Also, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at DePaul University offers many links to African-American, Asian American, Latino, Native American and multicultural scholarships. (Contact info: Office of Multi-cultural Student Affairs, DePaul University, 2250 North Sheffield, Suite 304, Chicago, IL 60614, 773-325-7325, Web site:).
Black Excel, at www.blackexcel.org, “is a resource for all, especially African-American families and first-generation college students,” according to its founder, Isaac Black. At this Web site you’ll find “The Historically Black College Experience,” “College Help Bookmarks,” which includes many links for financial aid, a college essay helper, Black col-leges tours plus, Black Excel’s newsletters topics plus many other helpful and informative links.
At Black Excel’s “Scholarship Gateway” there are very focused and helpful links such as the “100 Minority Scholarship Gate-way List.” Black Excel recommends that you E-mail them at email@example.com for the quickest reply. Or contact them by writing to Black Excel: The College Help Network, 244 Fifth Ave., PMB H281, New York, NY 10001-7604 or by phoning 212-591-1936.
Hispanic College Fund
The mission of the Hispanic College Fund (HCF) is “to develop the next generation of Hispanic business leaders in America by awarding scholarships to deserving Hispanic students.” In 2009 the Hispanic College Fund awarded $3 million to over 592 students nationwide.
Scholarship programs include:
- Hispanic College Fund Scholarship
- ALPFA Scholarship
- Google Scholarship
- Kaiser Permanente College to Caring
- Marriott Scholars
- Manuel Candamo Memorial Scholarship
- Verizon Scholarship
- NASA Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology
- Ford Blue Oval 1
- Denny’s Single Parent Scholarship
The Hispanic College Fund only accepts online applications so you need to go to www.hispanicfund.org. At this site, students, parents and guidance counselors can find out the qualifications for the different programs, the application process (which includes follow-up mail-in information) and a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section.
If you have questions about the scholarships contact the Hispanic College Fund, Inc., 1301 K Street. NW, Suite 450-A West, Washington, DC 20005, phone: 800-644-4223 and 202-296-5400, Fax: 202-296-3774, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org. (Note: If you E-mail, write “Scholarship Info” in subject line.)
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) at  is the largest Hispanic scholarship-granting organization in the nation.
- The College Scholarship Program which is available to full-time students at an accredited college or university in the US or Puerto Rico. Interested applicants must have completed at least 12 undergraduate credits with a minimum GPA of 2.7. This scholarship is available on a competitive basis to both undergraduate and graduate students.
- The Community College Transfer Scholarship Program is available to community college students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university the following academic year. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
- The High School Scholarship Program is available to graduating high-school seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Students must have definite plans of attending a college or university the following fall semester after graduation and must be enrolled full-time at an accredited college or university to receive their scholarship.
- The Gates Millennium Scholars Program is available to graduating high school seniors and provides substantial scholarship awards to exceptional high school seniors for study at the college of their choice. Eligible applicants must have a minimum 3.3 GPA, demonstrated leadership skills, and significant financial need.
The application period generally begins in October and closes around the 1st of February.
Other helpful information at the HSF Web site can be found by going to “Additional Resources” which provides information about preparation for college in middle and high school, college selection and application, application for scholarships and financial aid, student support organizations, and a national scholarship list for Hispanics. Many materials are provided in both English and Spanish.
To contact HSF, write them at Hispanic Scholarship Fund, 55 Second St., Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105, phone: 877-HSF-INFO (877-473-4636), Fax: 415-808-2302, or general E-mail: email@example.com.
Two other resources of interest to Hispanic/Latino students are:
- The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) which offers the Ruben Salazar Scholarship. Contact NAHJ at 1000 National Press Building, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, DC 20045-2001, 202-662-7145, Fax: 202-662-7144, E-mail:firstname.lastname@example.org, Web site:www.nahj.org, click on the link for Student Programs.
- The National Education Association (NEA) and the National Hispanic Press Foun-dation have collaborated on the Hispanic Scholarship Directory () which allows free access to more than 100 scholarship opportunities.
Horatio Alger Association
Seeking to assist students who have succeeded in the face of adversity, and to encourage young people to pursue their dreams with determination and perseverance, the Horatio Alger Association annually awards more than $4 million in college scholarships. It also provides an internship and job placement program.
To be considered for National Scholarships, National Scholarship Finalist Awards, and Horatio Alger State Scholarship Programs the eligibility criteria are as follows: demonstrated integrity; perseverance in overcoming adversity; strength of character; a desire to contribute to society; enrollment full time as a high school senior with plans to enter college no later than the fall following graduation; a strong commitment to pursuing a bachelor’s degree (transfer from a two to a four-year institution is acceptable); critical financial need; involvement in co-curricular and community activities; a minimum GPA of 2.0; and U.S. citizenship (or be in the process of obtaining).
Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., 99 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 320 Alexandria, VA 22314, 703-684-9444, Fax 703-684-3822, Web site: www.horatioalger.com.
The NAACP confirms its commitment “to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to pursue their educational goals,” by awarding a number of scholarships annually to deserving students. In an effort to promote equal opportunity in education, the NAACP annually offers the following scholarships: Earl G. Graves Scholarship, Agnes Jones Jackson Scholarship, Lillian and Samuel Sutton Scholarship, Roy Wilkins scholarship, and the Hubertus W.V. Willems Scholarship.
Scholarship applications are available on the organization’s Web site, www.naacp.org. The site also includes contact information for local NAACP chapters. You can also contact the organization’s national headquarters at 4805 Mt. Hope Dr., Baltimore, MD 21215; 877-NAACP-98 or (410) 580-5777.
National Urban League Scholarship
The National Urban League Scholarship Program (NUL) offers college scholarships to deserving African-American students to attend some of our country’s most influential and challenging institutions and thereby create an outstanding pool of talent.
Since 1999 the League has given away more than $10 million in scholarships. Contact The National Urban League, Inc., 120 Wall St., New York, NY 10005, 212-558-5300, E-mail: email@example.com, Web site: .
United Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) awards scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students attending a UNCF member college or university, as well as to those students attending other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and majority institutions.
UNCF general scholarship eligibility criteria are a minimum 2.5 GPA; an unmet financial need as verified by the financial aid director; and completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applicants should also request that the Student Analysis Report (SAR) be sent to the financial aid office at their college or university.
All scholarships require that these basic criteria are met; however, many non-UNCF scholarships have additional criteria. Read the requirements for each award carefully.
At the UNCF Web site, www.uncf.org, you can search for scholarships alphabetically, geographically, by sponsoring companies, by intended major, by achievement on standardized test score and by creating your own personalized student profile form.
For details and more information about UNCF Corporate Scholars Programs, contact The United Negro College Fund, Scholarships & Grants Administration, 8260 Willow Oaks Corporate Dr., PO Box 10444, Fairfax, VA 22031-8044; phone 800-331-2244.