We list 3 verified full ride scholarships for Black students. Awards range from $55,000 to $360,000, and the largest is the QuestBridge National College Match from QuestBridge at Full four-year scholarship (valued over $360,000). The next deadline is September 15, 2026 for the The Gates Scholarship.
None of these carries a race or ethnicity requirement in the sponsor's published criteria. The lowest GPA requirement in this group is 3.3, and 1 listing publishes no GPA minimum at all. 3 are 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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
Cooke College Scholarship Program
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
The Cooke College Scholarship Program is the largest undergraduate scholarship available to high-achieving high school seniors with financial need. It is last-dollar funding applied after all institutional aid and can provide as much as $55,000 per year toward a bachelor's degree at any accredited four-year institution. Scholars also receive educational advising, cohort programming, graduate school funding, and access to a network of nearly 3,200 Cooke Scholars and alumni. The application for students graduating in spring 2027 opens August 19, 2026 and closes November 11, 2026, with semifinalists announced in January 2027 and recipients in March 2027.
QuestBridge National College Match
QuestBridge
The National College Match connects high-achieving students from low-income households with full four-year scholarships to QuestBridge's college partners. QuestBridge describes the award as a full four-year scholarship to 55 top colleges valued at over $360,000. The deadline for the current cycle is October 1, 2026. QuestBridge guides applicants toward households earning less than $65,000 a year for a family of four with minimal assets, though this is guidance rather than a hard cutoff.
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 full ride scholarships for Black students are available right now?
We list 3 verified full ride scholarships for Black students. 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. 3 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 full ride scholarships for Black students?
Not necessarily. The lowest published GPA requirement among these 3 listings is 3.3, and 1 of them publish no GPA minimum at all. Sponsors that do not state a minimum typically assess applications holistically, weighing essays, financial need, recommendations, and community involvement alongside grades.
Are these full ride scholarships for Black students only for Black students?
No. None of these 3 listings carries a race or ethnicity requirement in the sponsor's published criteria. They appear here because their other criteria, such as financial need, first-generation status, or HBCU enrollment, reach many Black students. We label every listing so you know exactly what the sponsor requires.
What is the largest of these full ride scholarships for Black students?
The largest is the QuestBridge National College Match from QuestBridge at Full four-year scholarship (valued over $360,000). It is renewable, so the figure reflects support across more than one year. Its deadline is October 1, 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.