For educational loans, you should always start your scholarship/grant search at your school's financial aid office. They may be aware of available minority grants. Fastweb.com is a free scholarship search site. Also, you can search for government grants on Grants.gov.
Some minority grants are loans that are forgiven after graduation. Afterward, the student agrees to work in a certain profession or location. For example, the Geographical Critical Needs Minority Teacher Scholarship awards college students up to $1,500 an academic year. After graduation, the award winner agrees to teach in a designated area.
The Gates-Millennium Scholarship is awarded to minority students annually. The student must be of one of the following ethnic background: African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific American or Hispanic American. It is available to high school seniors, college sophomores, juniors and seniors.
The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. scholarships are awarded to African-Americans, Latino and Native American students. NACME is currently supporting 1,500 students in the United States. Funds can be used for tuition, research projects, summer internships and various other purposes. The amounts range from $2500 to full tuition.
Never pay to search for scholarships or grants. The most useful scholarship search sites are available for free online. The Federal Trade Commission warns consumers about companies promising success or your money back.