Are there any full-ride scholarships or other funding opportunities I should be considering?

General Forum
1

Primary College Interest: Howard University

Demographics:

  • Race/Ethnicity: African-American and Mexican
  • Income: Low-income, $50-60k single-parent household with 6 members
  • Location: Washington State

Academic Profile:

  • Weighted GPA: 4.57
  • Unweighted GPA: 3.73
  • Graduating Age: 18
  • Degrees: AA in Biology (from community college) + High School Diploma (dual enrollment, full-time college classes)
  • AP Classes: 1 AP class (received an A, did not take the exam)
  • College Courses: Higher-level college Chemistry and Biology courses at community college
  • High School Background: Attended a charter school for 9th and 10th grade before enrolling in college courses for 11th and 12th grades

Extracurricular Activities and Awards:

  • Deans List: 9th-10th grade in high school
  • Chancellors List: 11th grade at community college
  • Expected Honors: 12th grade at community college
  • Fundraiser: Ran a fundraiser at high school with a local Black-owned business; contributed to marketing and ad creation (photos, QR codes, etc.)
  • Leadership Club: Social Chair; spoke to local middle schools about preparing for college and the benefits of charter schools
  • Instagram: Owner of a Black-focused hairstyle tutorial account; created videos, networked with Black creators, and achieved 10k+ views with an average of 150 new followers per week
  • Volunteer Work: NICU/Inpatient volunteer at a hospital; 100+ hours
  • Scientific Research: Collaborated with state university and community college on research determining plant pathogen growth
2

You might already be aware, but Howard offers the Karsh STEM Program for students pursuing an MD/PhD or a PhD in the sciences. You can find more details here: Karsh STEM Scholars.

Best of luck with your application—you’ve got this.

3

If you’re interested in a STEM degree and attending an HBCU, consider the FOSSI scholarship, which offers $40k ($10k per year, renewable). My son received it, and it only requires maintaining a 2.5 GPA.

Claflin University, another HBCU, has a strong alumni endowment. With good GPA and test scores, you might qualify for a merit scholarship or even a full ride.

Also, check out scholarships from UNCF and NAACP.

For HBCU applications, you can use the Black Common App to apply to multiple schools with a single fee. There are around 60 schools listed.

Keep in mind, some scholarships are only available to freshmen, so with an associate degree, you may not be eligible for those.

Good luck!

4

I’ll be starting college as a freshman with some college credits already completed, which is a significant advantage.

5

Double-check with the admissions offices of the schools you’re interested in. They might have updated their policies since many students now enter college with dual credits and associate degrees.

6

Thank you so much! :pray:t5: I really appreciate it.