HBCU funding works differently from the rest of the scholarship landscape, and the difference trips up most students. The biggest sources are not scholarships you apply to. They are portals you register with.
The two portals that matter most
Together these represent the majority of dedicated HBCU scholarship money in the United States. Both work by profile-and-match rather than a single application with a single deadline.
UNCF Scholarships
United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
UNCF is the largest private scholarship provider to minority students in the United States, awarding more than $62 million each year to students attending more than 600 schools. Rather than a single award, UNCF operates a portal of hundreds of named programs with their own deadlines and criteria, including the Fund II Foundation UNCF STEM Scholars Program, the UNCF/Koch Scholars Program, and the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Scholarship Program. Students create one profile and are matched to the scholarships they qualify for, so the practical advice is to register early and check the portal monthly as new awards open throughout the year.
Thurgood Marshall College Fund Scholarships
Thurgood Marshall College Fund
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund supports students at publicly-supported HBCUs and predominantly Black institutions. TMCF has awarded more than $500 million in scholarships and career readiness programming, including over $20 million in the 2023-2024 academic year across more than 2,000 students. Its awards fall into three types: Gap Completion Scholarships for students with urgent financial need, Access Scholarships covering tuition, fees and on-campus housing, and Programmatic Scholarships covering tuition, fees and on-campus room and board. Students apply by creating a profile in the TMCF scholarship portal, which then matches them to the awards they qualify for.
UNCF describes itself as the nation’s largest private scholarship provider to minority students, awarding more than $62 million each year to students at more than 600 schools. It runs hundreds of named programmes with their own deadlines and criteria, including the Fund II Foundation UNCF STEM Scholars Program and the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Scholarship Program.
TMCF supports students at publicly-supported HBCUs and predominantly Black institutions, and has awarded more than $500 million in scholarships and career readiness programming. Its awards fall into three types: Gap Completion Scholarships for urgent financial need, Access Scholarships covering tuition, fees and on-campus housing, and Programmatic Scholarships covering tuition, fees and room and board.
Which awards actually require HBCU enrollment
Fewer than you would expect. In our verified catalogue, only a minority of listings restrict eligibility to students attending a Historically Black College or University. The CBCF Zelle Community Development and Entrepreneurship Scholarship is one of the clearest examples, restricted to MBA students at five named institutions.
Everything else in our catalogue is open to students at any accredited institution. That means an HBCU student is eligible for the entire national field on top of the HBCU-specific awards, which is a larger advantage than most students use.
The awards HBCU students most often miss
These carry no institutional requirement and no race requirement, and they are among the largest awards available to any US undergraduate. HBCU students are fully eligible and systematically under-apply.
| Scholarship | Sponsor | Award | Deadline | Min GPA | Who can apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Gates Scholarship | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Full cost of attendance not covered by other aid | September 15, 2026 | 3.3 | Open to all · National |
| Cooke College Scholarship Program | Jack Kent Cooke Foundation | Up to $55,000 per year (last-dollar) | November 11, 2026 | 3.8 | Open to all · National |
| QuestBridge National College Match | QuestBridge | Full four-year scholarship (valued over $360,000) | October 1, 2026 | None stated | Open to all · National |
| Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship | Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation | $20,000 | September 30, 2026 | 3.0 | Open to all · National |
Field-specific funding
If you have chosen a field, the organisational awards attached to it are usually less competitive than general national scholarships, because the pool is limited to students in that discipline who also know the organisation exists.
National Society of Black Engineers Scholarships
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
NSBE administers a portfolio of named scholarships for members pursuing engineering, computer science, mathematics, and related STEM degrees. Current programs include the Mamon & Cynthia Powers Scholarship at $10,000 (four awards), the Analog Devices Scholarship at $5,000 (two awards), the Tighe & Bond, Angela Barbee and Hatch scholarships at $5,000 each, and the NSBE Jr. Bridge Scholarship at $1,000 (twenty awards). All applicants must be registered, paid NSBE members, and the general floor is a 2.5 cumulative GPA, though individual awards set their own minimums ranging from 2.0 to 3.0.
National Black Nurses Association Scholarships
National Black Nurses Association
The National Black Nurses Association administers more than twenty named scholarships each year for students enrolled in nursing programs, including the Dr. Lauranne Sams Scholarship, the Dr. Millicent Gorham Scholarship, and the NBNA Social Justice Scholarship. Awards start at $1,000; in 2023 the association awarded 57 scholarships totalling over $257,000. Applicants must be NBNA members and members of a local chapter where one exists, must be enrolled in a nursing program at any level from LPN/LVN through doctorate, and must have at least one full year of school remaining.
NABJ Scholarships
National Association of Black Journalists
The National Association of Black Journalists awards scholarships annually to high school and college students pursuing journalism careers. Awards are worth up to $10,000 each and are named for media companies, corporations, NABJ founders, past presidents, task forces, and regions. Named awards include the Larry Whiteside Scholarship, the Visual Task Force Scholarship, the Monica Roberts and Thomas Morgan III LGBTQ+ Task Force Scholarships, and the Acel Moore and Pam Moore Scholarships. The main NABJ scholarship round closed February 27, 2026, with the Acel Moore and Pam Moore awards closing January 30, 2026. NABJ publishes a single status page listing every award and whether it is open or closed, which is the most reliable place to check.
National GEM Consortium Fellowship
National GEM Consortium
The GEM Fellowship funds master's and PhD study in engineering and computer science for students from underrepresented groups. It is one of the most substantial graduate funding routes in this space: PhD Employer Fellows receive full tuition and fees for up to five years plus a stipend of at least $16,000 per year, master's fellows receive a minimum $16,000 total stipend, and all fellows are matched with at least one paid summer internship at a GEM employer member. The minimum cumulative GPA is 2.8, which is notably lower than most graduate fellowships. Applicants must contractually agree to intern for two summers with their sponsoring employer, and must separately apply for admission to at least three GEM member universities.
What to do first
- Create profiles on both the UNCF and TMCF portals this week, before you know which awards you want. The profile is the slow part.
- Ask your HBCU’s financial aid office what institutional aid exists for your year and major. This is the least competitive money available to you.
- Apply to the national awards above that you qualify for, since HBCU enrollment does not exclude you from any of them.
- Join the membership organisation for your field. NSBE and NBNA awards require paid membership, which shrinks the applicant pool considerably.
- Check both portals monthly. New programmes open throughout the year rather than in one annual window.
Browse every verified scholarship or see what closes next.