Scholarships aim to increase African American numbers at colleges.
African Americans tend to be underrepresented at many institutions of higher learning, according to the University of Phoenix. In an effort to combat that trend, organizations and corporations have created scholarships in the hopes of encouraging more African Americans to attend college and get degrees. African American students can apply for these scholarship programs and use the money to further their schooling.
Sacred Music Scholarships
There are scholarships for those studying sacred music.
Sacred music refers to religious and spiritual hymns. The Presbyterian Church supports those obtaining a major in Sacred Music with the Student Opportunity Scholarship. The scholarship is available to members of the church that are, at least, in their junior year of college. The selected recipient will receive an award of up to $3,000. Sacred music also includes Negro spirituals, which have been passed down from slaves over generations. For students interested in the study and practice of these spiritual hymns, there are scholarships from the "Negro Spiritual" Scholarship Foundation (NSSF). The NSSF scholarship is available to high school seniors planning on going to college and is determined via a singing competition.
Science Scholarships
African Americans studying science can apply for assistance.
Certain foundations have created scholarships in an effort to encourage more African Americans and other minorities to enter the sciences. One such scholarship is the GEM Fellowship Program from the National GEM Consortium, which provides money to selected candidates. The scholarship amount is anywhere between $10,000 and $14,000. The program specifically supports African Americans studying for a Masters degree in Engineering, a Ph.D. in Engineering or a Ph.D. in Science.
Nursing Scholarships
Nursing scholarships are available to African American candidates.
There is scholarship money to encourage African American men and women to take up a profession in nursing. Thus, organizations like the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) offers 14 different scholarships to students. The scholarships range in amount from $500 to $2,000 and require candidates to be enrolled in nursing program. Candidates must also be a member of their local NBNA chapter to qualify for a scholarship.
Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships
Certain corporations provide scholarships to African Americans.
Large corporations put aside part of their profits to support education and the educational needs of African Americans as well. Every year, Marathon Oil provides $15,000 to one candidate for his or her education. Communications giant Verizon provides scholarships through its Verizon Foundation. African American students with a minimum GPA of 3.0 can apply for the scholarship and potentially receive $5,097 for school.
HBCU-Specific scholarships
There are scholarship programs for HBCU students.
Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have scholarship programs geared towards their students. The SIT Study Abroad program, for instance, provides money to HBCU students seeking to spend time abroad. The organization aims to encourage a diverse group of students to live and learn outside of the United States during the normal school year and during the summer. Recipients can receive anywhere between $300 to $5,000 in scholarship money to travel abroad.
Tags: African Americans, African American, scholarship programs, African American students, African Americans studying