Students planning to attend Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs) and pursue teaching degrees have several options available for securing HBCU teacher scholarships. Many of these scholarships are made available through programs that are dedicated to assisting African American students specifically, though others are available to a student planning to earn their degree in education from an HBCU.
Scholarship Requirements and Eligibility
Basic qualification for the majority of HBCU teacher scholarships include strong educational performance, demonstrated involvement in social service, volunteer and educational programs, and attendance at a qualified college or university to complete a major in education. Each program has its own eligibility or qualification criteria that successful applicants must satisfy as well. For this reason, it’s critical that students applying for HBCU teacher scholarships review the application specifications and qualification details thoroughly for every scholarship for which they apply.
Scholarships from African American Organizations
Many of the HBCU teacher scholarships available today are offered by organizations that focus on the empowerment and advancement of African American students. Here are just a couple of the available scholarships in this category.
- The Thurgood Marshall College Fund – Siemens Teacher Scholarship
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund offers renewable scholarships for African American students going for an education degree to become a science or math teacher. These scholarships require students to be a junior or senior attending an HBCU with a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher. - The NAACP – Lillian & Samuel Sutton Education Scholarship
The NAACP’s Sutton Scholarship provides financial assistance for undergraduate students going for their education degree with a qualified college or university. This HBCU teacher scholarship requires candidates are full time students with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or greater.
State Sponsored HBCU Scholarship Programs
In addition to the HBCU teacher scholarships offered by various organizations, there are also many states that provide financial assistance for African American students pursuing education degrees. In exchange for financial assistance in completing their education, students agree to provide a number of years of teaching service in under-served or needy schools in the state following the completion of their education. Here are a couple of examples of HBCU teacher scholarships of this nature.
- The Florida Fund – Scholarship for Minority Teachers
African American Florida residents that are pursuing a bachelor’s degree in education and are at least a junior in college have the chance to receive scholarship funding through the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers. In exchange for their scholarship, students commit to working as a teacher in the state of Florida for a minimum of one year.
Fellowship Programs
HBCU teacher scholarships are not all for funding a bachelor’s degree program. There are also fellowship programs designed to prepare African American college students for success in the challenging field of high school education. Here’s an example of a fellowship program for HCBU teachers.
- Thurgood Marshall College Fund – The Teacher Quality and Retention Program
Fellowship recipients have the chance to complete a summer training program specifically designed for education students. Throughout the program, students work with peers and seasoned educators to learn the requirements of becoming certified teachers, vetted by the National Board, and capable of effectively addressing the educational needs of students in under-served and high-need urban and rural schools.
