Top Minority Student Scholarships (Updated October 2025)
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Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship
Funded byDr.Terence O. Hayes Sr.The Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship will support the academic endeavors of one student who has struggled with or has been impacted by someone who struggles with mental health.- Background: Have struggled with mental health personally, or through a family member
$4,625Deadline:Jun 13, 2026One Click Apply1Start Small, Dream BIG Scholarship
Funded byBonjour Marketing LLCThis scholarship seeks to support aspiring or current entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of launching their business or idea.- Background: Planning to launch or currently launching a business or idea
$1,100Deadline:Jan 16, 20262Mohamed Magdi Taha Memorial Scholarship
Funded byTaha FamilyThis scholarship seeks to honor the life of Mohamed Magdi Taha by supporting students who possess similar qualities and are also ‘up-standers’ in their communities.- Education Level: Undergraduate student
- Race: Black/African
- Major of Interest: STEM or the arts
$2,600Deadline:Dec 13, 2025One Click Apply3Bright Lights Scholarship
Funded byBria AlexanderThis scholarship aims to support students who have had to overcome obstacles in order to pursue a college education.- Education Level: High school or undergraduate student
- Identity: Underrepresented minority and/or first-generation college student
$1,200Deadline:Dec 12, 2025One Click Apply4Slater Miller Memorial Scholarship
Funded byMiller FamilyThis scholarship seeks to honor the life of Slater Miller by supporting trade school students with financial need.- Education Level: Trade school student
- Financial Status: Low-income
- Background: Non-profit or volunteering experience
$6,450Only 17 days left!One Click Apply5A Man Helping Women Helping Women Scholarship
Funded byFatherly Advice Life CoachThis scholarship seeks to support women who are pursuing higher education in order to uplift other women.- Gender: Female-identifying
- Education Level: High school senior, undergraduate, trade school or graduate student
$1,050Deadline:Nov 30, 2025One Click Apply6Elijah's Helping Hand Scholarship Award
Funded bySheehanThis scholarship will support a student who has been impacted by LGBTQIA+ experiences or mental health challenges.- Education: High school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student
$1,000Deadline:May 12, 2026One Click Apply7Future Women In STEM Scholarship
Funded byKeisha DurhamThis scholarship seeks to foster gender equity in male-dominated fields by supporting women who are pursuing STEM disciplines.- Education Level: High school senior or undergraduate student
- Gender: Female-identifying
- Field of Study: STEM
- Background: Member of a historically underrepresented group
$1,040Deadline:Dec 01, 2025One Click Apply8Charles Cheesman's Student Debt Reduction Scholarship
Funded byCheesman FamilyThis scholarship will provide for college students or adults currently in a career, who have student debt. Students must be African American or Hispanic/Latino and first-generation students in order to apply.- Education Level: Undergraduate or graduate student, college graduate
- Race/Ethnicity: African American or Hispanic/Latino
- Debt Status: Has student loan debt
- Background: Was/is a first generation student
$10,240Deadline:Nov 30, 2025One Click Apply9Dr. Jade Education Scholarship
Funded byThe Dr Jade Brand, LLCThis scholarship will help support African American women attending graduate school.- Education Level: Graduate student
- Race/Ethnicity: Black/African American
- Gender: Woman
- Experience: Currently working full-time
$2,500Deadline:Jan 01, 2026One Click Apply10José Ventura and Margarita Melendez Mexican-American Scholarship Fund
Funded byBorders FamilyThis scholarship seeks to honor the memory of José Melendez by supporting students who are currently pursuing or looking to begin an undergraduate degree.- Education Level: High school graduate currently pursuing or looking to begin an undergraduate degree
- Identity: Mexican or Mexican-American
- Background: First-generation college student
- Experience: Work or significant volunteer experience
$3,000Deadline:Dec 01, 2025One Click Apply11William A. Lewis Scholarship
Funded byEdwards_Lewis FamilyThis scholarship aims to honor the legacy of William A. Lewis by supporting underrepresented students interested in pursuing careers in mathematics or other STEM fields.- Education Level: Undergraduate or graduate student
- School Type: Historically Black College or University (HBCU)
- Race: BIPOC
- Field of Study: STEM
$4,000Deadline:Nov 30, 2025One Click Apply12Filipino-American Scholarship
Funded byLee CortezThis scholarship seeks to support Filipino-American undergraduate students who have a background in community service.- Experience: Must have community service experience
- Ethnicity: Must be Filipino
- Education Level: Must be an undergraduate student
$1,810Only 8 days left!One Click Apply13Christian E. Vines Scholarship
Funded byAnnette VinesThis scholarship aims to support underrepresented students as they transition from high school to college so they have all of the resources they need to thrive.- Education Level: High school senior
- Race: Black/African American
- State: Massachusetts
$1,225Deadline:Mar 01, 2026One Click Apply14Mark A. Jefferson Teaching Scholarship
Funded bymark jeffersonThis scholarship will support one extremely ambitious African-American in their studies to become an educator for the future.- Ethnicity: Black
- Gender: Male
- GPA: 2.8 or higher
$2,130Deadline:Jan 14, 2026One Click Apply15Dr. Hassan Homami Memorial Scholarship
Funded byNadereh HomamiThis scholarship seeks to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Hassan Homami by supporting first-generation immigrants who are pursuing their academic dreams.- Field of Study: Engineering
- Education Level: Graduate student
$3,000Deadline:Dec 16, 2025One Click Apply16Servela Theodore Memorial Scholarship
Funded byTheodore FamilyThis scholarship aims to honor the legacy of Servela Theodore by supporting students who are pursuing careers in human services.- Education Level: High school or undergraduate student
- Gender: Female
- Financial Status: Low-income
- Desired Career Field: Human services
- Background: Caribbean-descent
$900Only 25 days left!One Click Apply17Purple Dream Scholarship
Funded byBrianna PearyerThis scholarship aims to empower single mothers who are determined to pursue or complete their college education, regardless of the hurdles they face.- Education Level: Undergraduate student
- Background: First-generation college student
- Financial Status: Low-income
- Background: Single mother
$1,055Deadline:Dec 21, 2025One Click Apply18Doan Foundation Arts Scholarship
Funded byDoan Incorporated (Doan Foundation)This scholarship aims to support marginalized teens in California who are pursuing careers in the arts so they have the resources they need to achieve their dreams.- Education Level: High school senior
- GPA: 2.5 or higher
- State: California
- Financial Status: Low-income
- Field of Study: Arts
$1,500Deadline:Mar 01, 202619Kristen McCartney Perseverance Scholarship
Funded byKristen’s KrewThis scholarship will support North Carolina female students who demonstrate perseverance and are passionate about their community.- Education Level: High school junior or senior
- State: North Carolina
- Gender: Female
- GPA: 3.5 or higher
- Experience: Volunteer or non-profit work
$4,384Deadline:May 15, 2026One Click Apply20Dashanna K. McNeil Memorial Scholarship
Funded byDashanna K McNeil Memorial ScholarshipTo honor the life of Dashanna K. McNeil, this scholarship to encourage those who share her commitment to healing to continue in their Nursing studies.- Education Level: High School, Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master's
- Career of interest: Nursing or a related field
- Location: Planning to attend an accredited nursing institution
$655Deadline:Jul 13, 2026One Click Apply21Velazquez Social Sciences Scholarship
Funded byJorge VelazquezThis scholarship seeks to support students who are on a mission to achieve their full potential and make the world a better place through social services.- Background: First-generation college student
- Heritage: At least one parent of Puerto Rican descent
- Education Level: High school senior
- Field of Study: Social work, psychology, sociology, political science, international relations, or criminal justice
$1,100Only 20 days left!One Click Apply22Drs. Julieto and Marlyn Eltanal Scholarship
Funded byRossana EltanalThis scholarship aims to honor Julieto and Marlyn Eltanal by supporting the next generation of doctors as they finish their education.- School: Cornell University
- Field of Study: Medicine
- Ethnicity: Asian
- Education Level: Attending medical school
$3,000Deadline:Jun 16, 2026One Click Apply23Byte into STEM Scholarship
Funded byCampbell FamilyThis scholarship seeks to support Black learners pursuing STEM across traditional and non-traditional pathways so they can overcome any hurdles they face.- Education Level: High school senior, undergraduate, graduate student, or bootcamp participant
- Field of Study: STEM
- Race: Black
- Background: Community service involvement
$4,250Only 1 day left!One Click Apply24Dr. Tien Tan Vo Imperial Valley Healthcare Heroes Award
Funded byTien VoThis scholarship aims to support “healthcare heroes” who are working and serving their communities, all while furthering their education at local colleges and institutions.- Education Level: Undergraduate or graduate student
- Background: Currently working or has previously worked in healthcare
- Location: Imperial Valley, California
$500Only 3 days left!One Click Apply25Dr. Tien Vo Healthcare Hope Scholarship
Funded byTien VoThis scholarship seeks to offer encouragement and tangible support to students facing financial hardship while pursuing careers in healthcare.- Background: Financial need
- Education Level: Undergraduate or graduate student
- Field of Study: Healthcare
$500Only 3 days left!One Click Apply26Catrina Celestine Aquilino Memorial Scholarship
Funded byJeanne AquilinoThis scholarship seeks to honor Catrina’s legacy by supporting students pursuing law and/or healthcare so that they can complete their education and help those who are oppressed.- Education Level: Undergraduate or graduate student
- Background: First-generation student
- Citizenship Status: US Citizen
- Field of Interest: Law and/or medicine or healthcare
$500Only 4 days left!One Click Apply27Breast Cancer Awareness Scholarship in Memory of Martha Dickinson
Funded byElizabeth MettilleThis scholarship seeks to honor the memory of Martha Dickinson by supporting students who have been impacted by breast cancer.- Education Level: High school or undergraduate student
- GPA: 3.0 or higher
- State: Maryland
- Background: Impacted by breast cancer
$500Only 5 days left!One Click Apply28Chadwick D. McNab Memorial Scholarship
Funded byDraughtLab, LLCThis scholarship honors the life of Chadwick D McNab by supporting students looking to reach their full potential in a technology career.- Education Level: Undergraduate
- Major/Major of Interest: Computer Science, Technology, and Related fields
$2,000Only 7 days left!One Click Apply29Chris Jackson Computer Science Education Scholarship
Funded byChris Jackson's FamilyThis memorial fund for Chris Jackson will support students who want to pursue a Computer Science degree to make the world a better place.All students are eligible$5,000Only 7 days left!One Click Apply30
About scholarship for minorities
As the student loan crisis in America grows, racial disparities in student debt have become increasingly apparent. Black students take out a disproportionate amount of student loans, with the average Black graduate owing over $25,000 more in student debt than the average white graduate. The financial support of scholarships for minority students can be crucial in bridging this gap.
Sign up here and check which scholarships you are eligible to apply for right now.
Why are scholarships for minority students so important?
Black students are also most likely to take out loans, with 84.3% of Black Bachelor’s Degree students taking out loans for the 2015-2016 year, followed by 83.0% of Alaska Native and American Indian/Native American students and 72.2% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students.
There are also discrepancies between rates of default by race, with half of the Black students who graduated in 2003 defaulting on their student loan payments at some point by 2015 and 36.1% of Latino students defaulting. Comparatively, only 21.5% of white 2003 graduates defaulted within the same time frame.
Student loan disparities are made even worse due to the racial wage gap that disadvantages Black and Latinx workers. Part of the reason for this discrepancy is the underemployment of Black workers. Nearly 40% of black degree holders work a job that doesn’t require a college degree, as compared to only 31% of white graduates.
Furthermore, there is a significant divide between the employment rates of Black and white workers. Since 1972, the Black unemployment rate has been more than twice the rate of white unemployment, except during the Great Recession. Among college-educated workers, the gap is smaller, though Black unemployment is still higher than white unemployment, at 3.5% as compared to 2.2%.
The significant wage and employment gaps between Black and white employees make it even more difficult for Black borrowers to repay debt, 48% of Black students owing 12.5% more than they originally borrowed, four years after graduating. In comparison, after the same amount of time, 83% of white students have reduced their debt by 12%.
Due to the significant barriers that BIPOC students face and the disproportionate burden that student loans place on students of color compared to white students, we’ve compiled this list of 17 scholarships for underrepresented minority students, available exclusively on Bold.org, to encourage minority students to pursue opportunities in higher education.
How to Qualify for Minority Scholarships
To start applying for scholarships for minorities on Bold.org, simply create your free Bold.org profile by clicking on any of the many scholarships above. After creating a profile, you can search for scholarships, filtering categories in order to find scholarships that you are eligible for.
Be of a racial minority
In order to qualify for minority scholarships, you must be of a racial minority. The list of scholarships for minority students above includes scholarships for African-American students, Hispanic students, Asian American students, Native American and indigenous students as well as other general minorities.
Be a student in high school, undergraduate school, or graduate school
There are general eligibility requirements in order to apply for scholarships on Bold.org. Applicants must be a high school student or engaged in a higher form of education. Additionally, applicants must be fourteen years of age or older and enrolled in a school in the United States.
Check eligibility requirements
Each scholarship for minority students has a set of specific eligibility criteria. This can include education, with scholarship opportunities for college students specifically, high school seniors, or a variety of education levels. Minority scholarships already have a racial eligibility requirement. Other criteria range from GPA to location to fields of interest.
Types of Scholarships Available for Minority Students
There are many different types of college scholarships for minority students available on Bold.org. Some scholarships are open to all racial minorities, while others have stricter eligibility requirements, such as only being open to black students. Additionally, there are minority scholarships that are offered exclusively to students in a certain field of study, such as the Cliff T. Wofford STEM Scholarship, which is open to minority students pursuing STEM.
There are also scholarships available for students enrolled in HBCUs as well as scholarships for students from certain cities or states, such as the Endeavor Scholarship. These scholarships are great opportunities for financial assistance since they have additional eligibility requirements which decrease the size of the applicant pool and increase your chances of winning.
Many minority scholarships require you to write a short essay in order to apply. However, there are also no-essay scholarships available, which you can easily apply for!
In addition to scholarships for racial minorities, there are also scholarships created for other underrepresented or disadvantaged groups, such as immigrants, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and women. You can go to Bold.org to find even more scholarship opportunities!
How to Find Scholarships for Minorities
After creating your free Bold.org profile, you can begin looking for scholarships that you are eligible for. By going to the scholarship search choosing the "Diversity and Inclusion" category, you can see the provided list of scholarships specifically for minority students.
Make sure to check if you are an eligible applicant for each individual scholarship by checking the additional eligibility requirements. Examples of some of these unique scholarship opportunities for minorities are listed above.
Scholarships for You Being You
There are scholarships designed for people being who they are. Click below to learn more:
When to Start Applying for Minority Scholarships
High school is a great time to start scouting and applying for college scholarships and looking for other financial aid opportunities to fund your college education. Many scholarships are available for high school students or exclusively for seniors, but don’t worry if you haven’t started your search yet. There are plenty of scholarship opportunities for students enrolled in institutions of higher education for undergraduates and graduate students.
What to Consider When Applying for Minority Scholarships
Not every scholarship is right for you, so Bold.org provides plenty of opportunities for minority students to choose from. Find the scholarships that best fit you. The more scholarships you apply for, the more likely you are to win.
Winning a scholarship isn't a sure thing, since certain scholarships will have many applicant, but don't be discouraged. There are ways to improve your chances at winning scholarships for minorities. Continue down to read our tips for winning scholarships that can help your odds of winning minority scholarships.
How to Apply for Minority Scholarships
It only takes a few easy steps in order to being applying for scholarships on Bold.org. Start by creating your free Bold.org profile. By clicking on any of the listed scholarships, you are able to create an account. From there, you can begin browsing hundreds of exclusive scholarships offered by Bold.org.
User-friendly features, such as filters for education, deadline, and category, help you sort through scholarship categories. For scholarships you want to revisit later, use the bookmark feature, which helps you set aside scholarships you are interested in.
Once you've decided on the scholarships that are best for you, begin applying. The scholarship application processes are set up specifically to make applying as easy as possible. This way, you can apply for more scholarships and maximize your Bold.org account.
Tips for Winning Scholarships for Minorities
There are many applicants to certain scholarships on Bold.org, but that shouldn't stop you from applying. Application winners use certain strategies to increase their chances at winning scholarships. Following a few easy tips can help set your application apart from others.
Apply for as many scholarships as you can
Since you are not likely to win every scholarship you apply to, it is important to apply to many scholarships. The more scholarships you apply to, the higher the chance you will win. Applying extensively to scholarships on Bold.org can help you increase your odds of accumulating awarded scholarship money.
Apply for scholarships as early as possible
New scholarships are being posted on Bold.org consistently, giving you numerous opportunities for scholarships that are introduced and awarded within just a few months. Because of this, applying sooner will make more scholarships available to you during your search. Keeping this in mind, you can apply for many different scholarships without stressing about applications deadlines all at one time of the year.
Put effort into your essay submissions
There are essay prompts for many of the listed scholarships for minorities, so make sure that you don't underestimate the power of a well-written essay. Take time to plan what you want to write, and proofread your essay after finishing it to eliminate spelling and grammar errors. Each minority scholarship is slightly different, but if you stick to fundamental writing skills, you can make your essays stand out.
Apply to scholarships with more specific eligibility requirements
Scholarships with more eligibility requirements have fewer applicable students. With a more specific set of criteria, less students will apply, giving you a better chance at being selected for that specific minority scholarship. Keep an eye out for scholarships with several requirements like need-based, GPA requirements, or specific field of study that you meet in order to give yourself your best chance of earning a more specialized scholarship.
Make a strong Bold.org profile
Take the time to fill out your Bold.org profile, putting in specifics that will help show donors who you are. For scholarships that don't require essays, this is especially useful, for students with completed profiles give information about themselves that would usually come up in an essay question. Additionally, filling out your profile completely will give you more Bold Points, opening up more exclusive scholarships that you can apply to.
Frequently Asked Questions
By only being open to minority students, these scholarships will have a lower amount of potential applicants than other scholarships, giving you a better chance of winning to help fund your college education. These small steps toward upward mobility are important for all minority group communities who suffer in the US.
Each scholarship listed above has a specific set of eligibility criteria, including your level of education, GPA, location, race, and fields of interest. The list above includes scholarships specifically for African-American students, Hispanic students, and Asian American/Pacific Islander students. The general eligibility requirements to apply for scholarships on Bold.org are that you must be in high school or a higher level of education, fourteen years or older, and enrolled in a US school.
Minority scholarships are designed specifically for students that fall in a racial minority. There are special scholarships dedicated to giving financial aid opportunities to students that are of a minority group and are seeking to pursue higher education. Underrepresented student populations have unique scholarship opportunities, for there are many educational scholarships that benefit college bound students in minority groups specifically.