African American College Grants
Statistics and Program Opportunities
Up until the last decade or so, African Americans might have been the most disadvantaged minority group in the realm of education.
But thanks to generations of federal, state and private supporters, African American students now have more college funding options available than ever before.
In response to the plenitude of resources, college enrollment among African American students is at an all time high, even though the Hispanic population now outnumbers that of African Americans.
United Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is the oldest organization in the United States that has solely devoted its energies to the educational advancement of African Americans. The UNCF was founded in 1944 and in 1972 was teamed up with its very familiar and effective motto, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." Over the years the list of donors has grown, allowing the organization to become one of the most impressive supporters of the educational goals of all African Americans. Not only does the UNCF directly administer a host of grants, scholarships and fellowships to black students at all college levels, but it generously provides funding to the over three dozen historically black colleges and universities that make a college degree economically possible for nearly any African American student.
Where once students may have chosen to pursue vocational or two-year degrees, many more are enrolling in four-year degrees and graduate programs, leaving behind any question of cultural under-education, as is the current challenge for Hispanics.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Strong support for the education and social advancement of African American students has come from the thirty-nine historically black colleges in the United States. Such familiar institutions as Spelman, Morehouse and Howard University populate the list:
- Howard University in Washington, D.C. provides a handful of freshman scholarships and grants awarded for academic merit. Other grants through the university include the Frederick Douglass Scholars Program and the Mordecai Wyatt Johnson Program, both of which are awarded based on academic excellence. The university maintains a list of updated donor grants and scholarships that have something to offer nearly everyone.
- Morehouse College in Atlanta offers grants to African American students based on academic excellence, athletic excellence, or program major. Students with a passion for music or who have mastery of a musical instrument should apply for the music department's grant.
- Spelman College also in Atlanta was founded to provide top-notch educational opportunities to one of the most disadvantaged segments of the population - African American women. Spelman participates with the United Negro College Fund to administer grants to need-based students. Also, students considering Spelman will find that the college also offers grants for academic excellence as well as those more focused on major course of study.
Public and Private Organizations Offer Specialized Grant Funds
Grant, scholarship and internship programs from all types of sources are available to African American students pursuing general college degrees as well as those with more specific goals, such as athletics or career specialty:
- The National Black Nurses Association supports the professional and educational interests of African American nurses. The organization offers nearly a dozen grants, scholarships and fellowships for nurses enrolled in four-year nursing programs. Average grant awards are between $500 and $2,000.
- The March of Dimes Nursing Scholarships funds graduate level nursing students and most importantly minority students. The goal of these generous awards is to prepare increasingly necessary corps of nurses trained and willing to serve in administration, faculty and core leadership roles.
- The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) provides grants for minority students who are enrolled in a full-time undergraduate degree program in accounting or finance. The grants are awarded based on both financial need and academic merit.
- The American Psychological Association's minority fellowship program provides valuable grant funding for minority students enrolled in graduate level psychology programs.
Large corporations such as Coca-Cola, Bell Labs, AT&T and Xerox already have popular grant programs aimed at fleshing out cultural diversity in an increasingly global corporate world.
Federal and State Grant Funds
Federal funds through the U.S. Department of Education have been in place to assist minorities and disadvantaged students since the mid-20th century. Along the way, many states have chosen to fund their own programs as a means to educate student residents, often with the goal of retaining well-educated graduates in the regional population:
- The Federal Pell Grant is available for those undergraduate students who come from a lower-income household. The maximum award has recently been around $4,000. You can apply for the Pell Grant by completing the FAFSA.
- Any student already receiving Pell Grant funds may apply for the federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant. This government grant awards another $200 to $4,000 in grant money to financially underprivileged students.
- The Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant is one state's example of a modest, but valuable grant awarded to disadvantaged students.
