Organizations Assisting People of Color in Graduate & Professional Studies

The challenge for 95% of the students interested in graduate and professional study is finding money--scholarships, fellowships, and grants. Finding money is especially difficult for students who don't know what monies are available or how and where to look for them.

African Americans, in particular, lack the information needed to identify these financial resources and, as a result, tend to think more about taking out a loan to pay for their education. If other sources are not available, you should consider a loan.

However, our hope is that you will use the information provided as a launching pad to find and secure free money for your graduate and professional studies.

THE BLACK COLLEGIAN has compiled the following listing of some of the organizations assisting people of color interested in pursuing graduate and professional degrees in management, humanities, social sciences, physical sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, engineering, law, human resources, labor/industrial relations, material sciences, astronomy, computer science, geology, chemistry, and physics.

With some legwork and research, you should find a scholarship, fellowship, grant, or loan to support your graduate and professional study.

Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC Pre-doctoral Clearinghouse)
Indiana University
803 East 8th Street 
Bloomington, IN 47405 
(812) 855-0822 
Amount: $9,500 plus tuition (5 years) 
Deadline(s): January 2 
Field(s): Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Engineering

Pre-doctoral fellowships for U.S. citizens of African American, American Indian, Mexican American, or Puerto Rican heritage. Must hold or expect to receive bachelor's degree by late summer from a regionally accredited college or university. Awards for specified university in IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, OH, WI, PA. Write for details.

Consortium for Graduate Study in Management
200 S. Hanley Road, Suite 1102 
St. Louis, MO 63105 
(314) 935-5614

Amount: Full tuition and fees; second-year support contingent upon satisfactory progress in the first year. 
Deadline(s): December 1, early decision; February 1, final deadline. Must be a U.S. citizen certifying membership in one of the following minority groups: African-American, Native-American, or Hispanic; must qualify for admission to a Consortium MBA program. Basis of award is applicant's desire to study management, proven aptitude, ability and scholarship.

Esteban E. Torres Scholarship National Council of La Raza
1111 l9th Street NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-785-1670
The National Council of La Raza is a community based organization that promotes professional growth and leadership in the Hispanic community. The Esteban E. Torres scholarship offers $18,000 to $22,000 specifically for students at Harvard Business School. After obtaining their MBAs, recipients are required to spend the next two years working in the Hispanic community.
Qualifications: Must be of Hispanic descent. Must have worked for seven years, five of those years in a Hispanic organization or a mainstream organization targeting the Hispanic community, or be at employee of NCLB.
Deadline: Early April

Florida Endowment Education Fund 
201 E. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 1525 
Tampa, FL 33602 
(813) 272-2772 
Amount: $11,000 stipend plus $5,000 tuition and fees (per year) 
Deadline(s): January 15

Field(s): All fields (except law, medicine, and education) Open to all African-Americans with at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution who wish to pursue a doctoral degree. Program recruits nationwide; however, fellows must enroll in a Florida institution. U.S. citizen. 25 awards per year. Renewable for up to 5 years. Students must write to request application.

Golden State Minority Foundation
333 South Beaudry Avenue
Suite. 216C
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: 213-482-6300
URL: http://www.gsmf.com

This program is for undergraduate or graduate students attending a Southern California college or for California residents attending college in another state. Individuals must show financial need and have leadership abilities. For an application, write to the address above and send a self addressed stamped envelope.
Qualifications: Must be a minority student attending a Southern California college or a California resident; open to juniors or seniors in high school as well as graduate students.
Deadline: Ongoing

Hispanic Scholarship Fund
One Sansome Street
Suite. 1000
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: 877-473-4636
E-mail: scholar@hsf.net
URL: http://www.hsf.net

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund presents awards of $1,000 to $3,000 to full-time graduate and undergraduate students who are at least one-half Hispanic.
Qualifications: Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a minimum GPA of 2.7. Must have completed 15 college credits of undergraduate work from an accredited college in the United States or Puerto Rico before applying. Check Web Site for more details.
Deadline: Ongoing

Industrial Relations Council on Graduate Opportunities, Advanced Level Studies (GOALS Minority Fellowship for Graduate School)
P.O. Box 4363 
East Lansing, MI 48826 
(517) 351-6122 
Amount: Up to full tuition plus stipend 
Deadline(s): April 1

Field(s): Labor/Industrial Relations; Human Resources Open to African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Native Alaskans, and Native Hawaiians for graduate study in the above areas at a member university of the GOALS consortium. Write for complete information.

LULAC National Scholastic Achievement
2000 L Street
Suite 610
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-835-9646

The League of United Latin American Citizens sponsors a community-based program providing $250 to $1,000 in funds to undergraduate and graduate Hispanic students in a variety of majors. Local LULAC councils raise scholarship funds and seek to have those funds matched by corporations and individual donors. Write to participating LULAC council in or tear your hometown to ask for a scholarship application.
Qualifications: ACT composite average score requirement is 23, SAT combined score requirement is 970, and GPA requirement is 3.5.
Deadline: March31

USA Group Scholarship Program
Scholarship Management Services
P.O. Box 297
St. Peter, MN 56082
Phone: 800-537-4180
URL: http://www.usagroup.com

The USA Group, a higher-education program in existence for nearly 40 years, provides $1,000 to $2,000 scholarships for a variety of fields of study. The scholarships may be renewed annually, if a GPA of 2.5 or better is maintained, for up to three years or until the student receives the degree. Information and applications can be found online.
Qualifications: Awards are bated on financial need and merit, past academic performance, future potential, leadership, work experience, and career aspirations and goals. Members of ethnic minority groups and those with documented physical disabilities are eligible.