Black students, get serious about minority scholarship applications (Pt. 5 and Pt. 6)
BlackTechLogy: With Affirmative Action outlawed, Republicans are trying to block black scholarships altogether
Writer’s update on Sept. 8: Due to Apple HBCU Scholars Program (part 1) put on hold in July, I featured two additional posts instead of one. Since then, the Apple HBCU Scholars Program officially opened on Sept. 8. Click here for part 2, highlighting the HBCU Tuition & Travel Grant. Application deadline is November 1. Click here for part 3, highlighting the Ron Brown Scholarship for high school seniors. Applications are open starting November 1. Part 4’s deadline has ended; best wishes with that one.
After the Supreme Court’s recent decision to ban colleges and universities from taking race into consideration for granting admission, it appears that’s not enough damage done. MSNBC reports that Republicans are now focusing their lens on minority scholarships altogether.
Republican speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, Robin Vos, claimed via Twitter that minority scholarship programs designated for students who are Black; Indigenous; Hispanic; or of Laotian, Vietnamese or Cambodian descent amounted to “discrimination.” Translation: They’re trying to get back to the days of guessing jelly beans to vote — only this time the ballot is replaced by textbooks and a seat in class.
While black students are already facing mixed-bag obstacles while trying to walk across a graduation stage, this is as good of a time as any to really get serious about applying for minority scholarships before (or if) they’re banned too.
This summer and via this “BlackTechLogy” series, I will be highlighting a minority scholarship each week that African-American students can apply for, specifically ones geared toward HBCUs.
MINORITY SCHOLARSHIP HIGHLIGHT: Innovation in Education Scholarship
Application Start (and Deadline) Dates: All essay submissions (in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF) must be uploaded no later than 11:59 p.m. PT/1:59 a.m. CT on the 20th (21st for Chicagoans) of each month. The submission window closes after that but will reopen on the first of the next month at 8 a.m. PT/10 a.m. CT. Students are welcome to reapply each month, but previous winners are not eligible to reapply.
Prize Amount: Onetime scholarship of $500, which may be applied to school-related expenses such as tuition, fees, books, and on-campus room and board
Additional Perks: LA Tutors 123 may publish your photo (JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF format) and essay onto their platforms
Major/Mandatory Area of Focus:
Citizen of, permanent resident of, or hold an active F1 I-20 or active J1 DS -2019 in the United States or Canada on the date of scholarship selection (25th of each month)
Currently enrolled as a high school, college/university or graduate student
Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (or the equivalent)
HBCU Relevance: Attending an HBCU isn’t mandatory. However, essay applicants must have designed an innovative project that makes a difference in the lives of others (ex. website, series of blogs, mobile app, fundraising event, etc.)
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Affiliates: Instead of group classes, LA Tutors’ one-on-one lessons “match every single student with an experienced, expert hand-picked tutor who knows both the material and how to teach it, inside and out.”
For more information, click here.
MINORITY SCHOLARSHIP HIGHLIGHT: AIChE Minority Scholarship Award
Application Start (and Deadline) Dates: Original deadline of July 15, 2023 has been extended to September 1, 2023
Prize Amount: $1,000 per student per scholastic year, renewable for the following year as long as the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements
Additional Perks: Applicants who will complete the chemical engineering bachelor’s degree requirements in mid-academic year (i.e., after one semester of one or two quarters), if successful, will receive prorated awards.
Major/Mandatory Area of Focus: Applicants are required to be undergraduates in chemical engineering during the current academic year.
HBCU Relevance: Applicants are required to be members of a minority group that is underrepresented in chemical engineering (i.e. African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander)
Affiliates: This is funded by donors who support the Henry T. and Melinda C. Brown Endowment for the Education of Underrepresented Chemical Engineers.
For more information, click here.
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the weekly posts every Wednesday.
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