With more minority students attending college, their access to scholarships and financial aid has become increasingly important.
Grants and scholarships for minority students make it easier and more affordable to access a quality education. They lessen the overall financial burden and ensure that learners can complete the credentials they need for professional success, which is especially important for minorities who face barriers and structural inequalities in higher education.
This guide explores popular scholarships and grants available to minority degree-seekers. The U.S. government officially recognizes minorities based on ethnicity, but this page also includes minority demographics beyond racial groups. It also provides answers to common questions, highlights challenges faced by minorities, and lists some prominent minority scholarships.
Pursuing a college education is difficult for anyone, but minorities face unique obstacles that make the learning experience especially challenging. These include accessibility issues, lack of representation, and economic difficulties. Obtaining relevant and applicable minority scholarships helps aspiring degree-seekers face and overcome these complex challenges.
Collapsed Expand AllRecent figures indicate that the average total cost of a college degree in the U.S. was $42,681 in 2017-2018. Most learners cannot afford these costs without some form of financial aid — especially minorities, who face income inequality and wage disparities. With the ongoing student debt crisis disproportionately affecting these populations, grants and scholarships for minority students are crucial to building equity in education.
Financial aid opportunities are not the only resources necessary for academic success. Student support services like academic advising, tutoring, and faculty interaction also have a significant impact on student success. A study conducted by the American Center for Progress revealed that public institutions spend much less money on resources for minorities than for other students — about $1,000 less per student.
A recent Inside Higher Ed report found that minority learners often struggle to maintain a sense of belonging at their colleges, especially at major four-year institutions. Feeling out of place on campus affects emotional well-being, mental health, academic success, and intellectual achievement, and a diminished sense of belonging may disproportionately affect minorities.
Obtaining financial aid can be the difference between attending college or not. Grants and scholarships, which do not require repayment, are the most economical resources for making up a financial gap. Degree-seekers can receive them based on need or merit and then can use those funds to finance tuition, fees, and other education expenses.
The alternative to financial aid is student loans, which must be repaid — with often very high interest rates — and present high financial risk. The amount of student debt carried by Americans has more than doubled over the last decade, rising to a whopping total of $1.5 trillion. At the same time, $3 billion in scholarship and grant funding remain unclaimed.
This situation presents an opportunity that learners can use to their advantage. The funding is out there: You just need to know where to look for it and how to apply. Minority scholarships and grants like those below can help you access a quality education and graduate debt-free.
According to the New York Times, African American learners are more underrepresented on college campuses today than they were 35 years ago. Affirmative action measures and diversity efforts help, but they often neglect the rising costs of education. Acceptance to a college doesn’t help a student who can’t afford to attend. Scholarships for minority students in this group help close the gap by providing financial opportunity and access.
Degree-seekers in these demographics demonstrate high levels of college enrollment and educational attainment, outperforming most other groups across the board. Minority scholarships for learners who identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander can help ensure that these academic achievements translate into future professional success.
The American Council on Education reporte that the Hispanic and Latino/a population has seen the largest growth rate among racial groups nationwide, increasing by 7% between 1997 and 2017. But when it comes to higher education, these groups are still underrepresented. Minority scholarships for Hispanic learners can help to rectify this problem.
College enrollment rates for most minority demographics tend to increase over time due to population growth. Unfortunately, Native American degree-seekers face an opposite trend: According to NCES, enrollment rates for Native Americans have remained static between 2000 and 2016. However, scholarships for minorities in this demographic can offer opportunities to increase those numbers.
LGBTQ+ learners are more visible now than ever, but precise numbers about their presence in academia are relatively new. The Postsecondary National Policy Institute reported that in 2016, approximately 10% of surveyed students identified as LGBTQ+. Like other groups, these learners face unique challenges in higher education. Minority scholarships specific to the LGBTQ+ population can help increase opportunity and visibility for this population.
According to NCES, 21% of college learners identified as students with disabilities in 2020; this statistic includes all races and genders. Students with disabilities often face accessibility issues in higher education, which can even mean extra expenses. Scholarships specific to students with disabilities help offset the costs associated with higher education and other expenses. They can also help connect learners with any accessibility resources they might need.
It may seem odd to list women as minorities, considering that they account for over half of the U.S. population and 58% of college students in 2021. However, women in academia face barriers to high-paying degrees and a lack of financial support when compared with their male counterparts. Two-thirds of national student loan debt is held by women, and women are underrepresented in STEM fields like computer science. Scholarships specifically for women can help reduce student loan debt and support women in pursuing STEM fields.
When searching for scholarships, the Department of Labor’s scholarship database, which offers search filters to help you narrow down options. Scholarship Owl and Tuition Funding Source also offer up-to-date directories for the latest scholarships for minorities. Check out our page on how to locate scholarships for more information.
Searchable directories and databases like these compile nationally available scholarships, which tend to see more applicants than local scholarships do and thus be fairly competitive. Supplementing these broader searches with more targeted research based on demographics you belong to will help increase your odds of receiving a scholarship.
To start, narrow your search based on discipline, major, or field of study. Most of the sites listed above offer filters to help with this. For a more local approach, contact department administrators and financial aid offices within the schools where you plan to apply or attend. They often know about less-publicized minority scholarships designed specifically for students at their schools.
Locating viable minority scholarships is only the first step. You still need to submit a polished, compelling application package that represents your achievements and potential. Each scholarship will have different specific requirements, but most follow the same basic procedures.
First, applicants will need to submit resumes, official academic transcripts, and standardized test scores. Most scholarships for minorities also ask for at least 1-2 letters of recommendation — usually from a teacher or community member — and a short personal statement outlining your values or career goals.
For best results, apply early and often. Be sure to contact your references well in advance and start drafting your personal statements early so that you’re prepared when deadlines roll around. Applying to more minority scholarships than you think you need takes more effort, but it also increases your chances of landing enough aid to cover all of your expenses. Likewise, applying early shows initiative and dedication to your education and gives you time to fix any problems that arise.
This section lists popular scholarships for minority students, including their mission statements, deadlines, and application requirements. Application criteria and award outcomes for financial aid opportunities frequently change, so candidates should conduct their own research to ensure they have the most recent information before applying to any of these.