Research scholarships that have been partnered with other organizations, such as ESSENCE magazine with The Sallie Mae Fund. Although websites may link students to scholarship sites, it may be necessary to do a little more digging by contacting the staff of publications or organizations to find out when and how much these scholarships are being distributed. Usually if a scholarship is successful, it will reinitiate the next year too, but in order to get information about the scholarship early, send a letter or email to the contact person.
Pay attention to the history of the company that a student is applying for a scholarship with. One hundred and three year old African American newspaper, the Chicago Defender, caters to the African American community with scholarship funds. One winner of the 2008 Scholarship Competition won because of her internship experience with the Defender intermingled with her anecdotes on her newspaper experience while the other winner got a perfect score because of mentioning current articles and reporters that are presently staffed at the Chicago Defender. Pay attention to publications' websites and even MySpace blogs to find out about annual scholarships.
Proofread essays for scholarships that require more information about the applicant other than being an African American female. To send a sloppy essay shows the student really doesn't care and has not reread it thoroughly. Race may be a way into being qualified for a scholarship, but a careless introduction can be a quick way out the door.
Keep your Grade Point Average (GPA) up to par both before applying for the scholarship and during the review process. Scholarships like the ones with the NANBPWC require applicants to not just be African American females, but they must also have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA. Majority of scholarships, including those that focus on certain races, require additional academic requirements.
Consider attending a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) for additional funding. Chicago deejay Tom Joyner's scholarships cater to African American students who will be attending an HBCU and may distribute additional funds to those who can use their education to go on to have careers in sponsoring companies.
Use your graduating percentage rank to your advantage. For example, at HBCU Lincoln University, both the Curator scholarship and Presidential scholarship rely on graduation ranks in the top 10 to 15 percent. Individual scholarships from an applicant's future university can be applied to with or without meeting the criteria of being an African American female.
Major in a field that you feel may be more valuable to you in your future career and for scholarships. For example, HBCU Spelman College distributes scholarship funds for the "Be a King Scholarship In Honor of Coretta Scott King" for students who are majoring in psychology, music or education.