Minority populations have long understood that education is a key component of success, and have actively promoted minority education grants to achieve that goal for as many people as possible. Prominent personalities in the entertainment, business and financial fields are often involved in, or create, foundations that focus on minority grants that promote access to education.
Minority education grants are typically thought of as ethnically based. In reality, most college and university financial aid offices have programs that serve both ethnic and non-ethnic students. There are grants for students who have financial or cultural barriers that hinder them in obtaining higher education, but there are also grants for minorities that are based on physical disabilities and even gender.
Specific trades or professions may also have foundations that promote learning through minority grants for education. As an example, the engineering profession maintains a website that provides grant information for women interested in engineering as a profession, found at (http://www.eifgrants.org/work/women.html).
These grants are usually part of a college or university program. Many colleges of agriculture offer grant help to aspiring agronomists, farmers and ranchers. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants focuses on undergraduate students in the sciences and mathematical areas.
Application for minority education grants often begins at your local college or university. If that specific college doesn’t have funding for your area of interest, expand your search to the internet, searching by keywords specific to your interest. You may find that a college you thought was out of your financial reach, has a program to help you at their school. In fact, schools often do this to boost enrollment and increase student diversity.
When thinking of minority grants for education, remember that some grants may provide funding for things other than tuition. Books, computers, and transportation are significant costs that can add up to as much or more than actual tuition, so look for grants to defray these costs as well.
