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Scholarships for African American Students

Checked against official sources on 9 October 2026

This page lists scholarships in the United States that are aimed at, or open to, African American and Black students, and that were checked on their official pages in October 2026. It covers awards for a degree in the United States, funding for study or an internship abroad, US federal student aid, and how to check that an offer is real. Amounts and dates are those published by each organisation and change from year to year, so confirm them on the linked page before applying.

Scholarships for a degree in the United States

Some of the awards below name Black or African American students in their rules; others are open to every student who meets an income, membership or study requirement. Each entry says only what the organisation's own page states.

UNCF

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) describes itself as the largest private scholarship provider to minority group members in the United States. It states that it awards more than $62 million in scholarships each year to students at more than 600 schools, including its network of 36 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). UNCF does not run one single award. It manages many separate programmes, and each has its own eligibility criteria, application requirements and deadline. Details: UNCF scholarships.

Ron Brown Scholar Program

The Ron Brown Scholarship is for high school seniors. The programme states that applicants must be Black/African American, US citizens or permanent residents, and in their final year of high school when they apply; current college students cannot apply. Applicants must also show academic results, leadership, community service and financial need.

  • Award: 20 four-year scholarships of $40,000 each ($10,000 per year), for any subject at an accredited four-year college or university in the United States
  • Dates: applications are accepted after 1 September of the senior year; the final deadline is 1 December, and recommendation letters and transcripts are due by 15 December
  • Selection: about 5,000 students apply each year, according to the programme; winners are told on 1 April

Details: Ron Brown Signature Scholarship.

NAACP scholarships

The NAACP offers need-based and merit scholarships each year for undergraduate and graduate study through its Inspire Initiatives programme. The page lists several named awards, each with its own guidelines. The general rules state that applicants must:

  • be enrolled full-time at, or accepted to, an accredited college or university in the United States
  • be a graduating high school senior, an undergraduate or a graduate student, depending on the scholarship
  • have a grade point average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
  • be a member of the NAACP

In 2026 applications opened on 13 April and closed on 22 May, with recipients announced in the summer. The page does not give one amount: it says the awards vary. Details: NAACP scholarships.

National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)

NSBE scholarships are for students of engineering, computer science, mathematics or a related STEM field. All applicants must be registered, paid NSBE members, and awards exist for high school seniors, community college students, undergraduates and graduate students. The society asks for a minimum cumulative GPA that is generally 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, and the GPA has to be verified each semester before an application. NSBE states that it and its partners offer over a million dollars in scholarships. Details: NSBE scholarships.

The Gates Scholarship

The Gates Scholarship is described on its own page as a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for high school seniors from low-income households. The eligibility list on that page does not mention race or ethnicity. To apply, a student must be a high school senior, Pell-eligible, a US citizen or permanent resident, and have a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale. The student must also plan to enrol full-time in a four-year degree at an accredited, not-for-profit college or university in the United States. Scholars receive funding for the full cost of attendance that is not already covered by other financial aid and the Student Aid Index. For the most recent round the application was available from 15 July 2026 and the deadline was 15 September 2026. Details: The Gates Scholarship.

Funding for study abroad

None of the programmes in this section is limited to one group of students. They pay for study or work experience outside the United States, and most are tied to financial need through the federal Pell Grant. Students who plan a term in Spain can compare universities in Spain or browse all schools in Spain, and the separate page on scholarships for studying in Spain covers awards for that country.

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

The Gilman Program is funded by the US Department of State. It gives merit-based scholarships of up to $5,000 to US undergraduates who receive a federal Pell Grant. Students of a critical language can apply for up to $3,000 more, and students doing STEM research abroad for up to $1,000 more. According to the Department of State, applicants must:

  • be a US citizen or national
  • be an undergraduate in good standing at an accredited two-year or four-year institution in the United States
  • receive a Pell Grant at the time of application, or show that they will receive one during the term abroad
  • take part in a credit-bearing study abroad or internship programme of up to one academic year, in a country with an overall Travel Advisory level of 1 or 2

There is no minimum programme length, so short programmes count. Details: Gilman Program at the US Department of State.

Douglass-O'Connell Global Internship (CIEE)

CIEE's page for the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship now shows the Douglass-O'Connell Global Internship, which is named for Frederick Douglass's 1845 visit to Ireland and is co-sponsored by CIEE, Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs, the African American Irish Diaspora Network and the John & Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation. Thirteen students are selected for an eight-week summer internship in Dublin. The award covers the full programme cost, airfare, housing, field trips and an academic course; meals are not covered, and students receive a stipend. Applicants must be undergraduate freshmen, sophomores or juniors at an accredited institution, have a minimum GPA of 3.0, be a US citizen, US national or permanent resident, and be Pell Grant-eligible. For summer 2027 applications opened on 1 September 2026 and close on 8 January 2027. Details: Douglass-O'Connell Global Internship.

CIEE scholarships and grants

CIEE also gives need-based and merit awards to students on its own study abroad programmes, which include Spain. Two examples are the GAIN Scholars Grant of up to $2,000 for students with proven Pell Grant eligibility, and the Gilman Go Global Grant of up to $2,500 for qualified Gilman applicants. Both are deducted from programme fees. CIEE's deadlines are 1 April for summer and fall programmes and 15 October for spring and January programmes. Details: CIEE scholarships and grants.

Boren Awards

Boren Scholarships fund long stays abroad for US undergraduates who commit to a year of federal service afterwards. Maximum awards are $25,000 for 25 to 52 weeks and $12,500 for 12 to 24 weeks, with $8,000 for 8 to 11 weeks for STEM majors only. Boren Awards cannot be used in Spain: the programme states that the countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are always ineligible. They fund study in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. The national deadline for 2027 Boren Scholarships is 27 January 2027. Details: Boren Awards and the rules on eligible programmes.

Using US federal aid abroad

A scholarship is often only part of the budget. The US Department of State notes that students may also be able to use federal financial aid to fund their study abroad, and it advises them to speak to the campus study abroad office or a faculty adviser about what the home college offers. The starting point for federal aid is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is used to decide eligibility for grants, scholarships, work-study and loans. Sources: financial resources for study abroad and USAGov on financial aid.

The FAFSA matters for scholarships too. Several of the awards above ask for Pell Grant status, and the NAACP and CIEE both ask for figures from the FAFSA Submission Summary. Schools can be compared in the country index and under schools in the United States.

How to check that a scholarship is real

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) publishes advice on scholarship and financial aid scams. Its main rules are short:

  • Never pay to apply for a scholarship. An offer that asks for a processing cost, a redemption fee or another upfront payment is one to walk away from
  • The FAFSA is always free to fill out and submit, and the FSA ID should not be shared with any company or consultant
  • Legitimate companies never guarantee or promise scholarships or grants
  • Being named a finalist for an award never applied for is a warning sign, and so is a request for a credit card or bank account number to hold a scholarship

Scams can be reported to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or to the state attorney general. Full advice: FTC on scholarship and financial aid scams. Note that a membership requirement, as at the NAACP and NSBE, is a different thing from a fee charged for the application itself.

Documents and deadlines

Most applications ask for the same set of papers. The NAACP's list is a useful model: personal information, the name of the college and intended major, the FAFSA Submission Summary, GPA information, ACT or SAT scores if applicable, a list of honours, activities and volunteer work, transcripts and a resume. The Ron Brown Scholar Program asks for two letters of recommendation, at least one from a high school counselor, teacher or principal; neither may come from a family member.

The deadlines above fall across the whole year: September for the Gates Scholarship, 1 December for the Ron Brown Scholarship, January for the Boren Awards and the Douglass-O'Connell internship, and spring for the NAACP. UNCF reminds applicants that an application is not considered until every required step, document and essay has been submitted.