If you’re a minority student looking for a job path with plenty of career opportunities, majoring in STEM could be a great way to find it.

IOScholarships the leading website for scholarship and internships for diverse students in STEM, highlights organizations, corporations and foundations that offer scholarships and internships for African American students during Black History Month.

IOScholarships has compiled a comprehensive list of scholarships in their curated database. The opportunities showcased represent several majors including, health care, biology, and various STEM fields. Award amounts available range from $1,000 to $20,000 as well as full tuition opportunities. Also included are related internships.

“At IOScholarships our priority is bringing untapped talented STEM students relevant scholarship and internship resources to help them achieve their academic goals,” said María Fernanda Trochimezuk, Founder of IOScholarships. Understanding the options to pay for school is important for all minority STEM students. IOScholarships encourages students who have not yet filled out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to do so now to start the federal student aid process.

There are many education grants in the United States from notable African American advancement organizations, like the NAACP, UNCF and the National Urban League. Use your academic achievements to apply for STEM scholarships, honor your heritage and make a difference in the world!

Scholarships for Black and African American Students

The IABA Foundation Scholarship is available to Black students of African descent. You must be pursuing a career in actuarial science and have a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible for this award.

Deadline: 2/15/23

Award Amount: $5,000

The Blacks at Microsoft Scholarship is available to high school seniors of African descent who are planning to attend a four – year college / university. You must be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, or a select business program; have a minimum GPA of 3.0; and demonstrate financial need to be eligible for this award.

Deadline: 3/15/23

Award Amount: $5,000

The Achievers in Technology Program is open to high school seniors and college freshmen of African descent. You must be pursuing a career in tech and demonstrate financial need to be eligible for this award.

Deadline: 3/29/23

Award Amount: $500

The UNCF General Scholarship is available to full – time undergraduate and graduate students attending a UNCF member college or university. You must have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for this award.

Deadline: 3/31/23

Award Amount: Varies

The Mae and Mary Scholarship is available to African – American high school seniors. You must be pursuing a career in the health care profession to be eligible for this award.

Deadline: 3/31/23

Award Amount: Varies

The Charles Shelton Foundation Veterinary Scholarship is available to Black / African – American high school seniors and current and returning college students. You must be planning to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, have a minimum GPA of 3.0, and be a legal U.S. resident to be eligible for this award. An essay is also required.

Deadline: 4/15/23

Award Amount: $2,000

The KnowBe4 Scholarship for Black Americans in Cybersecurity is available to students pursuing, or planning to pursue, a degree with a focus on cybersecurity or information assurance. You must have a minimum GPA of 3.2 to be eligible for this award.

Deadline: 4/17/23

Award Amount: $13,000

Internships for Black and African American Students

The Pathways to the C-Suite Internship Program is available to rising college seniors and recent graduates. Interns will be partnered with some of the nation’s top executives in the private sector to experience how public policy is influenced and developed at every level. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required.

Deadline: 3/31/23

The Emma Bowen Foundation Internship is available to high school seniors and undergraduate students of color. You must be pursuing a career in media or tech and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible to apply. Fellows have access to paid summer internships at some of the nation’s leading media and tech companies, on-the-job training from top professionals and industry executives, annual summer conference, EBF Launch Career Activation Program, and need-based academic scholarships.

Deadline: 5/1/23

The INROADS Internship Program matches underrepresented minority students with internship opportunities with more than 60 major corporations, including Fortune 500 companies. Students who have career interests in Business, Engineering, Computers and Information Sciences, Retail Store Management, Sales, Health, or Marketing are encouraged to apply. You must be either a graduating high school senior who has been admitted to an accredited college or university or a college freshman or sophomore to be eligible for these internships. High school students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA, college students must have a minimum 2.8 GPA. All applicants must be permanent residents of the United States.

Deadline: Varies

Where to Find STEM Scholarships for Hispanic, Latinx, Black and other diverse students in STEM?

If you’re looking for scholarships for diverse STEM majors, there are a number of resources available to you. These include:

• Your school’s financial aid office: School financial aid offices provide resources to help you find scholarships. The financial aid office can be the best place to discover scholarships that may be available from specific departments at your school, as well as other general scholarships available to all students in the STEM field.

• Professional organizations: Professional organizations in STEM such as the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and HACU offer scholarship opportunities to Latinx students who want to study science, technology, and other subjects. Check with local and national organizations to find all of the potential scholarships for which you could be eligible and utilize your network to find potential leads.

• IOScholarships: Most scholarship application deadlines occur typically from September through May. While this does give minority students some time to apply for scholarships, it still is a good idea to start searching for scholarships as early as students can. 

Treat the scholarship application process as a part-time job. The more applications you submit, the greater your chances are of winning scholarships. I treated the application process as a part-time job dedicating 15-25 hours per week. I figured if I spent two hours applying for a scholarship and won $1000, that was like making $500 per hour; an AMAZING part-time job!

IOScholarships help narrow your search. Results are generated based on your ethnic background and interests. Don’t wait, apply today!

If you need more information to help you win big scholarships read the following article.