Divorced Parents: Minority Scholarships

Dr. Gwen Ramson, Ph.D., Staff Contributor

Scholarships for Minorities

Minority scholarships also known as diversity scholarships by colleges are designed for men and women who belong to a minority group and excel in academics. Minority scholarships are issued by various federal and state authorities, colleges and universities, private charities, and businesses. Almost all scholarship agencies believe that ethnic minorities and women are at a disadvantage when it comes to their white counterparts. Therefore, they all have scholarships for ethnic minorities as well as women. More and more institutions are issuing minority scholarships in light of the Black Lives Matter movement. Interestingly enough though, The College Republicans of Boston University are offering a Caucasian Achievement and Recognition Scholarship.

Below is the list of the minority scholarships most of the institutions have :

African American
Asian / Indian Subcontinent
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT)
Hispanic
Multi-racial
Native American
Women

Why Colleges and Universities Give Minority Scholarships

Minority scholarships are offered by Colleges and Universities of all sizes. There are several reasons why colleges and universities give minority scholarships.

To attract the bright minority students who need financial support to complete their education.
To Qualify for State and Federal Grants
To increase the diversity of their institution so that more students are willing to join.
To attract international students. The international students prefer institutions where there is already a presence of students from their native country or students whose families were originally from their native country. But they also look for schools that offer a scholarship for their ethnicity.

Who Governs Minority Scholarships

Various federal, state, and private agencies govern minority scholarships.

How to Apply For A Minority Scholarship

Before you apply for a scholarship you need to find out what minority group you belong to and decide on the institutions you are interested in attending.

As far as a minority group is concerned, you would be surprised that you may qualify for a group not only because of your ethnicity but also because of your gender orientation, physical appearance, or disability.

You should research this list to find your colleges. There are several ways to approach the application process:

Work with your high school counselor to help you prepare your scholarship application and recommendation letters to the colleges and universities.
Work with your high school alumni who are attending a college or university and are recipients of a scholarship.
Directly approach the minority office of the college and university. You should contact them and give them a summary of your academic accomplishments.
If you are majoring in science, engineering, or business, a Fortune 500 company or a local corporation may have a scholarship. Visit their websites to see if they have a scholarship.
Approach the admissions department of the college and university to see how you can get a scholarship. They may have some private scholarships as well.
Work with your community leaders to find out about scholarship opportunities.

Co-parent or Children of Divorced and Separated Parents

While there are no specific minority scholarships for co-parents returning to school or their children, the personal hardships as a minority can give you an upper hand. For example, if you are a co-parent, you can demonstrate that you have excelled at academics while juggling the responsibilities of parenthood as a minority. The children of divorced and separated parents can outline how they persisted and excelled in their academics while taking care of their siblings. Most minority co-parents and their children can also qualify for scholarships created for single parents and their children regardless of their minority status.

Related:

Athletic Scholarship

Warning: This post is neither financial, health, legal, or personal advice nor a substitute for the advice offered by a professional. These are serious matters, and the help of a professional is recommended as it can impact your future.

Co-parent with confidence