Going to college is not easy. For many young adults, it is their initiation into the real world, and it can be a difficult transition. Compared to grade-school, the classes can be more difficult, with more challenging material to cover in less time, and with teachers who are less interested in helping you keep up. Social situations can catch you unprepared; the student body of a college or university is much more diverse than that of a high school. Oftentimes people say, “I wish I knew that when I was in college.” Whether they are talking about the amount of courses to take, which extracurricular activities to get involved in, or how to balance studying and socializing, college carries a learning curve for all and a steep one for many.

Although post-secondary education comes with a “sink or swim” mentality, much of the time, there are people and organizations that want to help you succeed. As a minority student, it is possible that you face extra challenges, and because of this there is extra help available specifically to people like you.

Being different can cause an added stress to attending college. Since there are many people who know this, some scholarships are available particularly to minority students. Some people also know that campuses benefit from diversity. Students can learn as much from other students of different backgrounds and ways of life as they do from their courses. Such learning is a different and important type of education; being “cultured” it is sometimes called.

 

Financial Aid

Financial Aid

  • ALA Spectrum Scholarship: 51- $5,000 scholarships are given out to students pursuing a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree or school library media degree. Studies can be part-time or full-time. ALA is the American Library Association. Their goal in offering this scholarship is to increase racial and ethnic diversity in the field. These scholarships are available to: American Indian/Alaskan Natives, Asians, African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islander students.
  • Actuarial Diversity Scholarship: This scholarship has been around since 1977 and is offered by The Actuarial Foundation. An “Actuary” assesses financial security, risk, and uncertainty, both personal and corporate. Any African American, Hispanic American, or Native American students pursuing either undergraduate or graduate degrees potentially leading to an Actuarial career can apply for this scholarship.  The award levels are from $1,000- $3,000.
  • APS Minority Scholarship: Any African American, Hispanic American, or Native American students who are pursuing a physics major can apply to participate in this program. APS Physics is the American Physical Society. The scholarship awards are $2,000- $3,000 and are renewable. Each winner is also paired with a physicist mentor to support them as they work towards achieving their academic and career goals.
  • The SEED Foundation Scholarship: This is one of the largest scholarships for Asian-Indian students. The awards are worth $10,000, and three students are chosen to receive them each year. SEED stands for “Supporting Excellence in Education.” Students must be U.S. citizens to qualify and have a minimum 3.0 G.P.A.
  • AAJA Journalism Internship Grants: Asian Americans who are working towards a degree in journalism have a number of grants available to them through this association. AAJA is an acronym for “Asian American Journalists Association.” The grants range from $1,000- $5,000 and include: Broadcast News Internship Grants, Print and Online News Internship Grant, Mary Quon Moy Ing Memorial Scholarship, NBC Summer Partnership, Stanford Chen Internship Grant, CIC/Anna Channault Scholarship, Vincent Chin Memorial Scholarship, Intern for AsAmNews, and Sports Journalism Institute Internship.
  • AICPA Scholarship for Minority Accounting Students: Nearly $300,000 was divided between 97 accounting students through this scholarship program for the 2013/2014 school year. To be eligible, you must belong to a minority such as African American, Hispanic/Latino American, Native American, Asian American, etc. You must also show an outstanding level of achievement, both academically and leadership wise. The AICPA is the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
  • ACHE Albert W. Dent Graduate Student Scholarship: ACHE is the American College of Healthcare Executives. They have a great acronym and a great ambition. They award up to 20 $5,000 scholarships each year. The scholarships are available to minority students only and are meant to help students in their final year of a healthcare management graduate program.