The Ron Brown Scholar Program picks a minimum of 10 African-American high school seniors per year to award scholarships to. The awards are for $10,000 per year, for all 4 years of college. This program is looking for signs of students who show exceptional leadership and a passion for changing society in addition to strong academics and solid extra-curricular activities. The students who receive the scholarships are brought together to form a community of intellectuals, and also meet with past winners, and future winners, to continue a sense of community and to help encourage intellectual pursuits and societal change. The scholarship is named after Ronald Brown, who was the first first African-American appointed to be Secretary of Commerce, and also the first African-American who served as the chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
The Jackie Robinson Foundation awards dozens of college scholarships and grants every year to minority high school students who are planning to attend UCLA. Awards can be up to $7,500 and are awarded to students who are graduating high school and applying to a four year college or university program. The foundation is named after Jackie Robinson, the professional baseball player who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Applicants need to print an application off of the website, and then include their SAT or ACT scores along with one letter of recommendation and an official transcript. Financial need is also a major factor, and the student cannot hold a college or technical degree of any kind.
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is renowned for offering hundreds to thousands of different scholarships to African-American and other minority students every year. The UNCF has a general scholarship fund that provides scholarships and grants for both high school seniors who are graduating, as well as college students who need additional assistance. The UNCF's website also provides a large database of more specific minority scholarships and grants based on various factors such as schools, states, area of study, and other factors. Between the grants and scholarships offered directly by the UNCF, and the database of scholarships and grants for African-Americans from other sources, the UNCF is one of the best resources for minority students looking for financial help for college.