Top Minority Student Scholarships (Updated February 2026)

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.

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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:

• Native American Scholarships
• LGBTQ Scholarships

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.