The following scholarship opportunities are for any student in the United States. There are many additional local or regional scholarship opportunities to find based on your location.
College Scholarships for Under-Represented Minority High School Students (General)
The Gates Scholarship
300 Gates scholars students receive funding for the full cost of attendance that is not already covered by other financial aid or expected family contributions. Must be a pell-grant eligible high school senior with a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.3 (on a 4.0 scale) to apply. Looking for students with “demonstrated leadership ability” and “exceptional personal success skills.” For questions, contact here.
For a Bright Future Global Scholarship Program
Grants are based upon assessment of need and University selection. The average amount is $2,500 per scholarship. Open to high schoolers and college students from low-income households who are pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. For questions, contact here.
ACS Scholars Program
The ACS Scholars Program awards renewable scholarships of up to $5,000 per academic year. Recipients must be graduating high school seniors or college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Students must also be majoring in/intending to major in a chemistry-related science, and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. For questions, contact scholars@acs.org.
Sallie Mae Bridging the Dream Scholarship
This program offers scholarships for up to $10,000 for high school seniors and college students. Students must be pell-grant eligible, diverse (in terms of gender, disability, race, ethnicity, or an underserved community,) and have “leadership abilities and good moral character.” View past winners here.
David Porter Need-Based Diversity Scholarship
This scholarship offers up to $5,000 to 2 students each year for the purpose of studying abroad. Students must be a part of a traditionally under-represented group in study abroad programs. This group could include things like race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, etc. For questions, contact info@iesabroad.org.
Red Thread Foundation for Women Scholarship
This scholarship is for women of an international background, including foreign students, immigrants, or first-generation Americans, who are first year entrants to a U.S. college or university program. There are no GPA or U.S. residency requirements. For further information, see here. For questions, contact here.
Additional Resources:
Online College’s Collated List: Scholarships for Marginalized College Students
College Scholarships for African American Students
Fund II Foundation UNCF STEM Scholarships Program
The STEM Scholarships Program provides funding, mentorship, and support to 500 African American students with a focus or major in STEM. Students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and must be graduating high school seniors enrolled in a US college when they apply. For questions, contact STEM.Scholars@uncf.org.
Ron Brown Scholar Program
The Ron Brown Scholar Program awards $40,000 four-year scholarships ($10,000 each year.) Applicants must be current high school seniors, economically challenged, and have an interest in public service, community engagement, business entrepreneurship and global citizenship. For questions, contact info@ronbrown.org.
UNCF General Scholarship
This scholarship is used to establish an applicant pool of potentially eligible students for ongoing unpublished scholarship opportunities. Applications are open to incoming college freshmen and other college students at HBCUs. Required minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and demonstrated financial need. For questions, contact scholarships@uncf.org.
NANBPWC National Scholarship
Applicants must be graduating high school seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale by February 1st in the year of graduation. Application here. For questions, contact here.
Ford Blue Oval Scholarship
The Ford Blue Oval Scholarship offers up to $6,200 to MALE graduating high school seniors or college student enrolling full time at an an HBCU or PBI. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and are able to demonstrate leadership abilities. For questions, contact support@goingmerry.com.
Mae and Mary Scholarship Fund
This scholarship provides varying amounts to winners based on academic excellence and financial need. Must be pursuing careers in the health care profession. Applicants must also be graduating high school seniors planning to attend a two/four year university or technical school. For questions, contact mae.mary.scholarship@gmail.com.
UNCF Healthcare Workforce Diversity Program
This scholarship offers up to $5,000 to African American students with need-based financial aid planning to pursue a certification or a 2-year associates degree in healthcare-related STEM fields. Open to both high school seniors and college students. For questions, contact yvonne.nash@uncf.org.
TMCF All Around Gap Scholarship
This scholarship offers students an unpaid school balance of up to $1,000. Must have an ability to demonstrate financial need and leadership ability. Applicants must be an incoming freshman, sophomore, or junior at an HBCU or PBI. For questions, contact scholarships@tmcf.org.
50 College Scholarships for Black and African American Students – https://www.onlinecolleges.me/financial-aid/scholarships/black-african-american-students/
This list includes some general and some very specific scholarships compiled by Online Colleges.
College Scholarships for Hispanic Students
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
This program provides $500-$5,000 in scholarships as well as career services, mentorship, leadership development, etc. to graduating high school seniors and undergraduate students. Applicants must be planning to enroll in a four-year university or graduate school in the US in the upcoming academic year. For questions, see here.
ScholarSHPE
The SHPE common application offers scholarship opportunities for graduating high school seniors and college students pursuing a STEM major and/or STEM career. Requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75. For questions, contact scholarships@shpe.org.
McDonalds Hacer Scholarship
This program offers between $5,000 and $100,000 worth of scholarships to high school seniors planning to attend a two/four year college or university with a full-time course of study. For further resources, see here.
Hispanic Heritage Foundation Youth Awards
The Hispanic Heritage Foundation offers scholarships to graduating high school seniors. Students must have a minimum unweighted 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale or 7.5 on a 10.0 scale. They must be enrolling at an accredited higher education institution in the upcoming academic year. For questions, contact info@hispanicheritage.org.
TheDream National Scholarship
This scholarship is for high school seniors or college students with DACA who have unmet financial need. Students have to have a GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale and plan to enroll in a community college or 4-year university. For questions, contact TheDream.US@applyISTS.com.
Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar Program
This scholarship offers between $500-$5000 to Hispanic students planning to enroll in a four-year university. Students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale and will receive access to HSF’s Scholar Support Services with the scholarship. For questions,
Proyecto H.A.C.E.R. College Book Scholarship
This scholarship offers up to $1,000 to young WOMEN or NON-BINARY students graduating high school. Applicants must be “highly motivated, and committed to community service, leadership, and academic excellence.” High school seniors planning to enroll in a college or university in the upcoming year. For questions, contact scholarship@lambdapichi.org.
College Scholarships for Students with Demonstrated Financial Need
Federal Pell Grant and Other Aid
Students with completed FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) are eligible for need-based federal aid and financial aid from their institution. Must be enrolling in an undergraduate institution in the upcoming academic year. Apply for FAFSA here. For questions, call 1-800-433-3243.
Dell Scholars Program
The Dell Scholars Program provides $20,000 scholarships and other resources to graduating high school seniors planning to enroll in an undergraduate institution. Applicants must have participated in a college readiness program in grades 11-12, and have a minimum GPA of 2.4. Applicants must also demonstrate a need for financial assistance and be Pell Grant eligible. For questions, contact apply@dellscholars.org.
JKCF College Scholarship Program
The JKCF awards up to $55,000 per year to its scholars. Applicants must be graduating high school seniors intending to enroll in an accredited four-year college after they graduate. Participants are required to demonstrate unmet financial need and minimum cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.5 or above. For questions, contact scholarships@jkcf.org.
Communicorp See What’s More Scholarship
This program provides $2,500 scholarships to incoming college freshmen and rising high school seniors. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and must provide a statement of financial need with the application. For questions, contact information@nshss.org.
Horatio Alger State Scholarship
The Horatio Alger State Scholarship offers $10,000 scholarships to high school JUNIORS in the U.S. Eligible students must demonstrate critical financial need, have a minimum GPA of 2.0, and express a strong commitment to complete a bachelor’s degree in college. For questions, contact scholarships@horatioalger.org.
Horatio Alger National Scholarship
The Horatio Alger National Scholarship offers $25,000 scholarships to high school JUNIORS in the U.S. Eligible students must demonstrate critical financial need, have a minimum GPA of 2.0, and express a strong commitment to complete a bachelor’s degree in college. For questions, contact scholarships@horatioalger.org.
Questbridge National College Match
Match Scholarship Recipients are granted early admission to one of QuestBridge’s college partners with a full four-year scholarship, worth over $200,000. Applicants must be high school seniors with high academic achievement who demonstrate financial need and personal circumstances in the application. Apply here. For questions, contact questions@questbridge.org.
The Herbert Lehman Education Fund Scholarship
This scholarship awards $2,000 a year to students for four years. Applicants must be a graduating high school senior, first-year student or transfer student at an accredited four-year college. Students must demonstrate financial need, a record of academic achievement, and commitment to public service. Apply here.
Courage to Grow Monthly Scholarship
The Courage to Grow Monthly Scholarship awards $500 every month to a student that explains their financial need in a paragraph. Applicants must be a junior or senior in high school or college student with a minimum GPA of 2.5. For questions, contact Support@CourageToGrowScholarship.com.
Online Guide to Resources for Low-Income College Students
https://www.edumed.org/resources/low-income-students/
College Scholarships for Women
https://www.onlinecolleges.me/financial-aid/scholarships/women/
General College Scholarships
The following scholarships are not specific to any ethnic or racial group or based on financial need.
Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship for high schoolers planning to attend college
Child Mind Institute Rising Scientist Awards for high schoolers from marginalized communities
Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund for students under the age of 25
Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship for high schoolers (all years)
E-waste Scholarship for all high schoolers
Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship for all high schoolers
Digital Privacy Scholarship for all high schoolers
National Society of High School Scholars Scholarships for high schoolers
CLAES Nobel Good Earth Sustainability Scholarship for high schoolers (all years)
NSHSS Activism and Advocacy Scholarship for all high schoolers
“A Fulfilling Life” No Essay Scholarship for high school students
“A Bold Life” No Essay Scholarship for high school students
“Be Bold” No Essay Scholarship for all students
“Financial Freedom” No-Essay Scholarship for all students
Jameela Jamil x I Weigh Scholarship for all students
Terry Crews “Creative Courage” Scholarship for students interested in art
NSHSS STEAM Scholarship for students interested in STEAM
GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program for high school seniors planning to attend college
Discover Student Loans Scholarship Award for high school seniors planning to attend college
NSHSS Diversity Scholarship for high schoolers in 10th-12th grade
CLAES Nobel Academic Excellence Scholarship for high school seniors and juniors
National Medical Fellowship Scholarships for students planning to pursue medical school
NSHSS Foundation STEM Scholarship for high school seniors pursuing STEM
Foot Locker Scholar Athletes for high school seniors involved in any kind of sports
Thurgood Marshall College Fund Scholarships for rising college freshmen
Nitro Scholarship for rising college students
NSHSS Mental Health Awareness Scholarship for rising high school seniors, juniors, and college students
Brooks Law Group Car Accident Scholarship for high school seniors and undergraduate college students who will be attending a US college or university in the next fall semester.
Databases to Search for Additional Scholarships
Couldn’t find what you were looking for? It may be helpful to search for a specific major, school, or geographic location—feel free to use the scholarship directories below to explore that.
Fastweb National Scholarship Directory