Scholarships for Marginalized College Students | EduMed.org
Historically and currently marginalized students often have a greater need for financial support in college. As a result, many companies and nonprofits offer scholarships specifically for students from a marginalized background. To help you take advantage of these scholarships, we did the legwork to locate a host of options. You’ll also find answers to important financial aid questions and tips on how to make your scholarship application stand out.
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Scholarships and Grants for Marginalized College Students
Scholarships and grants represent the most advantageous form of financial aid because they provide free money that never needs to be repaid, unlike student loans that can burden graduates with debt for decades. These funding sources are particularly crucial for marginalized students, including those from low-income backgrounds, BIPOC communities, and first-generation college students, as they help break down systemic barriers to higher education.
For marginalized students, scholarships can be transformative, offering not just financial support but also validation, mentorship opportunities, and access to valuable networks. Many scholarship programs specifically target underrepresented groups, helping to create more diverse and inclusive academic environments while addressing historical inequities in educational access.
To assist you in your search for funding options, EduMed has provided a broad list of scholarship resources to support your education journey. You’ll also learn how to strengthen your applications with compelling essays and showcase your unique achievements to stand out from other applicants.
ACB Scholarship Program
This scholarship is for legally blind students who attend school full-time and maintain a 3.0 GPA. To apply, submit proof of legal blindness, transcripts, and proof of college enrollment. Awarded amounts vary and can help cover tuition, room and board, fees, and costs associated with assistive technology.
Amount: $2,000-$7,500
Albert W. Dent Graduate Student Scholarship
The Dent Graduate Student Scholarship is for racially/ethnically diverse individuals and full-time LGBTQ+ students that are enrolled in an MPH, MHA, or MBA in Healthcare Administration or a similar program. To apply, submit a resume, transcript, three letters of recommendation, and an essay.
Amount: $5,000
Audria M. Edwards Scholarship Fund
This scholarship is for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, Queer, or Intersex students or those with an LGBTQI parent who has lived in the State of Oregon or Skamania, Clark, Cowlitz, or Wahkiakum Counties in the state of Washington.
Amount: $5,000
BHW Women in STEM Scholarship
BHW offers this scholarship to women pursuing undergraduate or master’s degrees in science, engineering, technology, or mathematics. U.S. citizens and international students studying in the United States are welcome to apply. Funds are sent directly to the winner’s school.
Amount: $3,000
Colin Higgins Youth Courage Award
The Colin Higgins Youth Courage Award is for LGBTQ+ students 25 and under who have overcome discrimination and/or adversities, prompting them to get involved with activism. To apply, submit a short film to the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival.
Amount: $15,000
Congressional Black Caucus Spouses Education Scholarships
Ally Financial funds these scholarships for scholastically gifted and highly driven African American full-time students attending an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral program in various fields. There is a wide array of Congressional Black Caucus Spouses scholarships available. You must submit applications for the ones you’re most interested in.
Amount: $2,500-20,000
TheDream.US National Scholarship
The National Scholarship is for high school graduates or graduates of community colleges with or without DACA status who moved to the U.S. before the age of 16. The scholarship covers all tuition and fees at an in-state university up to a certain amount.
Amount: Up to $33,000
Endowment for South Asian Students of Indian Descent (ESASID)
Offered to medical students in New Jersey or Philadelphia, applicants of this endowment must be of South Asian or Indian descent. You must submit a scholarship application form, two reference letters, an official letter verifying present enrollment in medical school, and an essay.
Amount: $5,000
Ford Emerging Voices Scholarship
This AFWM scholarship is for female undergraduate/graduate students with demonstrated academic prowess who can potentially create journalistic content for the Alliance for Women in Media. Candidates should be pursuing a major related to journalism or media.
Amount: $5,000
Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Scholarship Program
This scholarship is for HBCU seniors who are good leaders, demonstrate a commitment to community service, have unmet financial need, and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5. You must submit an application and other documentation to verify eligibility.
Amount: $10,000
Gates Scholarship
The Gates Scholarship is open to marginalized undergraduate students such as African Americans, Asian Pacific Islander Americans, American Indian/Alaska Natives, and Hispanic Americans who are in financial need, have demonstrated leadership skills, and have a minimum GPA of 3.3.
Amount: Cost of Attendance
Generation Google Scholarship (North America)
The Generation Google Scholarship program is offered to African Americans, Hispanics, women, and others who belong to specific marginalized groups and underrepresented demographics. Applicants must be enrolled in full-time bachelor’s programs and must demonstrate academic excellence.
Amount: $10,000
The Groundbreaker Scholarship
The Groundbreaker Leadership Scholarship is offered to U.S. citizens who are at least 25% Asian or Pacific Islander, who have a minimum 3.5 GPA, and who demonstrate leadership skills. To apply, submit an application form, essay, resume, official transcript, personal statement, proof of citizenship, a college acceptance letter, and a video.
Amount: $1,500
McDonald’s Black and Positively Golden Scholarship
This McDonald’s scholarship is available to full-time undergraduate students attending HBCUs who have a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher and who demonstrate financial need and leadership skills. To apply, submit an application and a short video answering specific questions.
Amount: Up to $15,000
NANBPWC Scholarships
The NANBPWC offers disadvantaged Black students various scholarships. Each one has different requirements. One, for example, is only for single moms pursuing higher education while another is for any African American who is a graduating high school senior.
Amount: Varies
National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Program
The NFB offers various scholarships to students who are legally blind in both eyes, live in the U.S., the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico, are at least 18, and plan on enrolling in full-time education in the fall of the application year.
Amount: $8,000
NBCUniversal Media Scholarship
NBC offers this scholarship to full-time Latino college sophomores and juniors enrolled in accredited programs. Applicants should have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and be pursuing careers in the entertainment industry. While a student must be interested in media and entertainment, all majors are welcome to apply.
Amount: $5,000
PG&E Asian Employee Resource Group Scholarship
Offered to Asians of all majors with a minimum GPA of 3.0, this scholarship gives preference to those studying information technology, business, engineering, environmental, and energy-related fields. To apply, register on PG&E’s website, complete a general application, and submit the required documents, references, and other supplemental ERG applications.
Amount: Varies between $2,000-3,000
Point Foundation Scholarships—The LGBTQ Scholarship Fund
The Point Foundation offers these scholarships to full-time LGBTQ+ students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate studies at an American four-year accredited college or university. To apply, submit an online application and all requested documentation.
Amount: Varies
Powering Education Scholarship
The Powering Education Scholarship is for people with disabilities pursuing post-secondary education. To apply, submit an application, a short essay, letters of recommendation, and high school transcripts.
Amount: $2,000
Pride Foundation Scholarship
The Pride Foundation Scholarship is for LGBTQ+ students and their allies living in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington with demonstrated financial need. Candidates should demonstrate how they have faced systemic barriers and how they would help others overcome those barriers with their degree.
Amount: Varies
Ron Brown Scholar Program
The Ron Brown Scholar Program is for African American high school seniors from low-income homes. You must submit an application, which includes sections to be completed by your parents and a school counselor.
Amount: $40,000
SAA Native American Scholarship
The SAA Native American Scholarship is offered to Natives from the Americas, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands. Applicants must be pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in archaeology. Students must submit an application, two letters of recommendation, a personal statement, an itemized budget, and documentation to prove their indigenous status.
Amount: Up to $10,000
Sealaska Scholarship
The Sealaska Scholarship is for Alaska Native students who are shareholders of Sealaska Corporation or a descendant of a shareholder. To apply, create an account on the Sealaska website and submit an application.
Amount: Varies
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Scholarships
These scholarships are offered to: those with Hispanic/Latino heritage seeking a STEM degree, who are members of SHPE, and who have a minimum GPA of 2.5. To apply, register on the SHPE website and complete a common application that determines your eligibility for various scholarships offered through this fund.
Amount: Varies
SOS Immigrant Student Scholarship
The SOS Immigrant Student Scholarship is for immigrant students, regardless of citizenship status, who migrated to the United States and enrolled in post-secondary education. To apply, submit an application and other required documentation.
Amount: $3,000
Sports Clips Help a Hero Scholarship Program
This scholarship is for veterans with a demonstrated financial need who are attending a VA-approved school or program. To date, the program has given out $14 million and awarded more than 3,000 scholarships.
Amount: Up to $5,000
Udall Undergraduate Scholarship
The Udall scholarship is for full-time college sophomores and juniors who are Native American or Alaskan Natives and pursuing a career in Native health care, tribal policy, or a related field. A Udall Faculty representative must recommend a candidate before they can fill out this application.
Amount: Up to $7,000
The Keys to Landing Your Scholarship
Identifying scholarships you are eligible for is an excellent first step, but a scholarship usually isn’t enough to bankroll your degree. Many scholarships are highly competitive, meaning you need to have some strategies to make your application stand out. The five strategies below can help, without causing you undue stress or long nights working on applications.
Key #1: Start early.
The early bird doesn’t just get the worm; they might also get the scholarship. You want to beat the flood of applicants who will wait until the last minute, as doing so many ensure reviewers have more time to review your application. So gather all the materials required to complete your application as soon as possible. If an essay is required, write it in advance and then ask a friend or professional mentor for feedback before submitting.
Key #2: Plan ahead for letters of recommendation.
If you need letters of recommendation, reach out to your academic or professional network asap. To improve your chances, get letters from those who can speak to your strengths. That biology teacher you had two years ago may not be able to write as great of a reference as the debate coach you’ve worked with for the last four years.
Key #3: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Many scholarships require students to submit the FAFSA, a federal application used to demonstrate financial need. Explore EduMed’s FAFSA checklist, and then fill out this application well in advance of the deadline, often with a family member who can help you navigate your family’s financial situation. It’s also an annual application, meaning you’ll fill it out throughout your college career.
Key #4: Perfect your essay.
Your essay is where your unique experience and motivation for applying to college can shine. Use storytelling, personal anecdotes, and concise language to demonstrate why you are a good candidate for a specific scholarship. Bonus points if you can tie it back to the scholarship’s values.
Key #5: Follow all instructions.
Follow all instructions when filling out a scholarship application. If a scholarship asks for official high school transcripts, don’t submit unofficial ones. If there isn’t a space for an essay, don’t submit one, even if you really want to tell your story.
Essential Funding Resources for Marginalized College Student Students
Being financially prepared goes beyond scholarships. It also includes finding ways to save money, put your financial wellness first, and locate a supportive community who understands challenges unique to your identity. Ahead are 10 online resources that can help.
American Indian College Fund
Those who identify as Native American may find this fund’s resources useful. Alongside offering financial aid opportunities, it also provides free resources for financial and academic wellness.
Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals
This group connects those in the LGBT community with resources, job openings, and professional development workshops so they can better navigate the higher education space.
Learning Disabilities Association of America
If you have a learning disability, this organization can connect you with resources and information about how to pay for and succeed in higher education.
NAACP
The NAACP is one of the largest providers of professional development resources, financial aid opportunities, and more for African American students.
Resources for Low Income Students
EduMed rounded up 45 of the best free resources for low-income college students. Resources are organized into categories such as academic preparation, advice/mentorship, financial aid and scholarships, student housing, transportation, food and family services, and more.
Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services
It’s difficult enough to navigate U.S. life as an immigrant. Throw in college challenges, and it becomes even trickier. This organization offers various education and legal services to refugees and immigrants.
Scholarships for Women
Historically, women have been minorities in higher education. Today, many organizations, schools, and companies offer scholarships for those who identify as female.
Payment Plans
Payment plans are a great way to make college tuition bills more manageable. EduMed’s guide to taking advantage of college tuition payment plans explains how they work.
