BlackCollegeScholarships.com lists 25 verified scholarships for Black, HBCU, and first-generation college students in the United States, representing over $623,000 in available awards. 5 of them restrict eligibility to Black or African American students under the sponsor's own criteria. The next deadline is The Gates Scholarship from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, closing in 21 days.
Every listing records the sponsor's official URL, the award amount, the deadline or recurring cycle, the eligibility rules as the sponsor published them, and the date we last checked. Where a sponsor does not publish something, such as an award amount or a GPA floor, we leave it blank rather than guessing.
Closing soonest
| 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 |
| Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship | Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation | $20,000 | September 30, 2026 | 3.0 | 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 |
| 2026 D.C. Future Legal Leaders Scholarship | HKM Employment Attorneys LLP | $1,000 | October 15, 2026 | 3.0 | Open to all · Campus within 60 miles of Washington, D.C. |
| 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 |
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Why this directory exists
Black families hold a fraction of the generational wealth that white families do, which makes scholarship money not merely helpful but decisive. Yet the information is scattered across hundreds of sites, much of it years out of date, and a great deal of it aggregated without anyone ever checking whether the award still exists.
In August 2026 we audited this site's own catalog and found that roughly two thirds of its 110 links were dead, and that eight listings pointed at domains with no DNS record at all. So we deleted the lot and started again, one verified listing at a time.
That is why this catalog is small. It will grow, but only at the speed we can confirm things. Read our verification policy →
We email you when we verify new scholarships and when a deadline is close. Free, and you can unsubscribe any time.
Common questions
What scholarships are available for Black students?
We currently list 25 verified scholarships for Black, HBCU, and first-generation students, including The Gates Scholarship, Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship, QuestBridge National College Match. 5 restrict eligibility to Black or African American students under the sponsor's own criteria. Each listing shows the award amount, deadline, eligibility rules, and a link to the sponsor's official application page.
Are scholarships for Black students still legal after the 2023 Supreme Court ruling?
Yes. The 2023 Students for Fair Admissions decision addressed race-conscious college admissions, not private scholarships, and privately funded awards restricted by race continue to operate. What did change is that a number of programs voluntarily broadened their criteria in response to legal pressure. That is precisely why every listing here records what the sponsor's criteria say today rather than what they said historically, and labels each award as Black-students-only, minority-focused, or open to all.
Do I have to attend an HBCU to get these scholarships?
No. Some awards do require enrollment at a Historically Black College or University, and those are labelled "HBCU Only" on the listing and gathered on our HBCU page. Most listings have no institutional requirement at all and are open to students at any accredited college.
Is this site free?
Yes, and it will stay that way. There is no account required, no paywall, and no charge to students at any point. We do not sell student data. The site is supported by clearly labelled sponsored listings and advertising, both disclosed where they appear.
How do you verify these scholarships?
Every listing is read directly off the sponsor's own page before it goes live, and each one carries the date it was checked plus a note recording what was confirmed and where. If a sponsor does not publish a figure, we leave it blank. If we cannot confirm an award exists, we do not publish it. Links are re-checked on a rolling basis and the catalog was last verified on 2026-08-13.