Overview of African American Scholarships

The African American community is deemed as the most popular and the largest minority group in the US. Statistics say that there are more than 600,000 immigrants from Ethiopia, Egypt, Angola, South Africa, Somalia, Cape Verde, Kenya, Mozambique, and Cameroon that have transferred to the United States.

Since they came to North America, the African American people have provided major contributions in terms of literature, music, art, food, fashion, and language. However, in spite of their influence to the American culture, many African American students are still having difficulties in achieving their dreams, most especially their aim of finishing their studies.

Today, it is a good thing that there are many scholarships that are available not only for basketball varsities who are aspiring NBA cagers, bright students with impressive GPAs, and choir members of their school's Glee Clubs. Regardless of race, ethnicity, or culture, a student can now afford a college education through the different scholarships that are sponsored by corporations or single individuals.

As for African-American students who are either entering college or are struggling to finish their chosen courses, there are numerous institutions that can help them reach the graduate degree that they wanted to have.

African American Scholarships in the US

There are many public and private institutions in the US that offer free scholarship grants for students. If you belong to this community, all you have to do is know which scholarship institution can help you get a college diploma.

United Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund is said to be the country's biggest and oldest scholarship organization that supports the education of many African American students. For more than 60 years in the service, this education assistance organization has provided more than $2 billion financial aid to support the education of more than 400,000 students in the country.

To qualify for a scholarship from this organization, all you have to do is to enroll at a college or a university that is a member of the United Negro College Fund. The next step is you have to fill out the UNCF General Scholarship application form. After submitting the form, the UNCF staff will use your information to help you select the best scholarship program that will suit your educational needs. If ever there are clarifications on the information that you have provided or if there are additional details needed to complete the application, the staff will give you an immediate update. To avoid any hassles, you must only input complete and truthful information on your application for the UNCF scholarship. For those who are interested, they can apply for a scholarship online by logging on to the UNCF website: http://www.uncf.org. In addition, lucky students who will be granted a scholarship will be provided with an official award letter by the organization.

Ron Brown Scholar Program
The Ron Brown Scholar Program is another scholarship organization that helps students who belong to the African American minority group to achieve their college degrees. This program has provided college scholarships worth $40,000
to numerous outstanding high school students who have proven their need for financial support, academic achievement, leadership, and devotion to community service. What sets this organization apart from other scholarship-giving institution is that it does not limit the student's choice of college or university. Interested students are advised to visit: http://www.ronbrown.org, so they can download a copy of the application form which they need to complete and send to the institution. The chosen scholar will receive $10,000 per year for his four-year college education. The financial support that he receives can be used for paying the tuition, health insurances, boards, books, computers, and other necessary college fees.

Aside from the above-mentioned scholarships, there is also another organization that help support the education of African American women. Miss Teen Africa is aimed on producing not only beauty queens, but African American professional women as well. After the five-day competition, winners and non-winners will be awarded with scholarship grants by the said organization. For interested students, log-on to: http://www.missteenafricanamerican.com/,to inquire about the specific details in joining this noble pageant.

Qualifying for an African American Scholarship

The most efficient way to find an appropriate African American Scholarship for you is to select the type of program that suits your qualification and your needs. Choose a scholarship program based on your financial need, course selection, and location. Listing numerous organizations is a big no-no when searching for a scholarship for it can give you a difficult time in narrowing down your list. The best way to do is to focus on the scholarship organization that has been established and is credible in providing real support for students who are members of your minority group.

It will also help if you'll do a short research about the organization you are trying to qualify for. Knowing the scholarship organization's mission and objective will provide you with a clear picture of how the institution can help you in finishing your college education. You should also keep a good list of the eligibility requirements, qualifications, and the needed documents and papers so you won't have a problem in your application.

In the US, there are many groups that offer financial and educational support to people despite their various inequalities in their culture, language, and choices. This only shows that differences do not hinder people to help those who are in dire need. For African American students, find the right scholarship program that will help you achieve your dreams of becoming the next Oprah, Will Smith, or even Waris Dirie.

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