We list 3 verified scholarships for Black students with September deadlines. Awards range from $5,000 to $20,000, and the largest is the Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship from Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation at $20,000. The next deadline is September 15, 2026 for the The Gates Scholarship.
None of these imposes a formal race requirement, though 1 is run by organisations whose stated mission is serving Black students. The lowest GPA requirement in this group is 3.0, and 0 listings publish no GPA minimum at all. 1 is renewable for more than one year.
Every listing below links to the sponsor's official page and shows the date we last checked it. We do not take a cut of any award and we never charge students.
Compare these scholarships
| Scholarship | Sponsor | Award | Deadline | Min GPA | Who can apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship | Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation | $20,000 | September 30, 2026 | 3.0 | Open to all · National |
| NACME Scholarships | National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) | $5,000 for most awards | Staggered; individual awards close throughout the year | 3.0 | Minority-focused · National |
| 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 |
All 3 listings
Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
The Coca-Cola Scholars Program awards 150 scholarships of $20,000 each year to graduating high school seniors selected on leadership, service, and academic achievement. The application for students graduating during the 2026-2027 academic year opened August 3, 2026 and closes at 5:00 p.m. Eastern on September 30, 2026. Applicants must be able to verify a minimum overall B (3.0) GPA in high school coursework.
NACME Scholarships
National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME)
NACME runs a scholarship portal for underrepresented students in engineering and computer science, listing around fourteen awards at any given time. The most common are NACME Block Scholarships worth $5,000, awarded through partner institutions including Texas A&M University, the University of California San Diego, and the University of Delaware, and Corporate Scholars programs run with Bechtel, Boston Scientific, GE Healthcare, GE Vernova, and GlobalFoundries that pair funding with a paid internship. Most awards require a 3.0 minimum GPA and an essay. Deadlines are staggered across the year rather than shared, so the portal is worth checking monthly.
The Gates Scholarship
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Gates Scholarship is a last-dollar award that covers the full cost of attendance not already met by other financial aid and the Student Aid Index. It is open to Pell-eligible high school seniors who plan to enroll full time in a four-year degree program at an accredited, not-for-profit US college or university. The 2026 application opened on July 15, 2026 and closes September 15, 2026. Because the award is last-dollar and tied to full cost of attendance, its value varies by student and institution rather than being a fixed sum.
Frequently asked questions
What scholarships for Black students with September deadlines are available right now?
We list 3 verified scholarships for Black students with September deadlines. The nearest deadline is September 15, 2026 for the The Gates Scholarship, worth Full cost of attendance not covered by other aid from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 2 of our listings in this group have a fixed upcoming deadline; the rest run on recurring annual cycles.
Do I need a high GPA for scholarships for Black students with September deadlines?
Not necessarily. The lowest published GPA requirement among these 3 listings is 3.0. Sponsors that do not state a minimum typically assess applications holistically, weighing essays, financial need, recommendations, and community involvement alongside grades.
Are these scholarships for Black students with September deadlines only for Black students?
Not formally. None of these 3 listings imposes a race requirement in its published criteria, but 1 are run by organisations whose stated mission is serving Black or minority students, so Black applicants are squarely who they exist for. The distinction matters because it determines whether you are eligible on paper, and we label every listing accordingly.
What is the largest of these scholarships for Black students with September deadlines?
The largest is the Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship from Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation at $20,000. It is a one-time award. Its deadline is September 30, 2026.
How do you check that these listings are accurate?
Every listing is read off the sponsor's own page before it goes live, and each one records the date it was last checked plus a note saying what was confirmed. Anything a sponsor does not publish, such as an award amount or a GPA floor, is left blank rather than guessed. Listings we cannot verify are held back rather than published.
When should I start a September scholarship application?
Give yourself at least four weeks before a September deadline. Recommendation letters are the usual bottleneck, because teachers and counsellors need two to three weeks' notice and are handling many requests at once. Transcripts can take a week to be issued. Essays benefit from being written, left alone for several days, then edited with fresh eyes.