Minority Scholarships for Undergraduates

The cost of college education is out-of-bounds for many students from low income families irrespective of their ethnicity. However, students from minority communities seem to be most affected by the prevailing economic conditions. The government and business organizations have taken cognizance of this situation and have initiated several scholarship programs to help students from minority communities. Scholarships are the best option for funding your continuing education as you need not repay the financial reward received in the form of a scholarship. It is not easy to get a scholarship reward as there are several applicants and there is a strict eligibility criteria. This however, should not dissuade you from applying as the reward will be far greater than your efforts if you qualify.

Scholarships for Undergraduates

There are several government education grant programs that favor students from the minority communities. Nonprofit organizations also offer minority scholarships for undergraduates and these mostly are need based scholarships. Business organizations also offer merit based and need scholarships to students from low income families and for those who belong to the ethnic minority.

Government Grants
The US government has recently increased the funding for its education grant programs to help more students get higher education. Some of the government grant programs are:

• Pell Grant :- You need to fill the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to apply for this grant. The reward amount depends on factors like the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of the student and his enrollment status as a part-time or full-time student. The maximum pell grant award for the year 2011-12 is USD 5,500.
• SMART Grant :- This is one of the merit based grant programs and students need to maintain a 3.0 GPA in their course work. The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART) gives up to USD 4,000 per year. Students who have mathematics, engineering, computer science, etc as their majors qualify for this grants program.
• TEACH Grant :- This is a conditional grant, meaning individuals who apply for this grant have to teach at least 4 academic years in schools that cater to students from low income families. Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program offers up to USD 4,000 per year. Like all other government grants you have to fill the FAFSA form to apply for this grant.

United Negro College Fund
This is one of the scholarships for African-American students which is applicable in 39 private member institutes. The United Negro College Fund (UNFC) was started in the 1940s and since then has helped millions of students achieve their educational goals. They have an online application process and information about the grant amount and application deadlines is available on their website.

National Society of Black Engineers
This scholarship is for undergraduate as well as graduate programs as there are different awards program under the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) scholarships scheme. Their programs offer scholarships to eligible students ranging from USD 500 to USD 6,500. Eligibility criteria is different for each of the scholarships awards and the deadlines also differ for the awards programs.

Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS)
To qualify for this scholarship that favors students from ethnic minorities like Hispanics, you have to fulfill the eligibility criteria which is similar to the Pell grant eligibility. The Gates scholars fund awards scholarships to 1,000 students each year. They look for leadership qualities and community service done by the students when judging the applications. You have to be a US citizen and fill up the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form to be eligible to qualify for this program.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund
This is also considered as a merit based scholarship for Hispanics as you need a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. You will also be required to enroll for a full-time course in an accredited educational institute. The application process is online and filling the FAFSA form is also one of the eligibility criteria.

List of Minority Scholarships

If you are looking for funding options in the form of scholarships then you should also check out nonprofit organizations. These organizations support different causes for example they might be working to support single mothers and offer scholarships to their kids. Local church charities are also a great place to explore for scholarship awards.

• National Association of Hispanic Nurses
• National Society of Hispanic MBAs
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Scholarship Program
• Bell Labs Fellowships for under Represented Minorities
• National Association of Black Journalists Scholarships
• Actuarial Scholarships for Minority Students
• Black Alliance for Educational Options Scholarships

Make sure you find the scholarship which has an eligibility criteria that better qualifies you. It is also a good idea to keep recommendation letters from your teachers ready along with your academic records and family's financial information when applying for scholarships.