Library Guides: Financial Aid and Scholarships Guide: External Scholarships

Scholarships for College Applicants

These are some of the many scholarships that high school students can apply for in their senior year. Some are intended for students planning to major in specific subjects, some require membership in a specific group, such as African-Americans, Latinx, persons with disabilities, etc. Most have requirements regarding minimum G.P.A. and/ or SAT or ACT scores.

Some scholarships are renewable while others are one-time only. Renewable scholarships typically require recipients to reapply each year.

Against the Grain Arts Scholarship for Asian/Pacific Islander Students
Applicants must be high school seniors, at least 50% Asian or Pacific Islander and a citizen, national, or legal permanent resident of the United States. Must be planning to major in visual arts, performing arts, or communications.
American Chemical Society Scholars Program
Awards renewable scholarships to underrepresented minority students majoring in undergraduate chemistry-related disciplines and are also intending to pursue careers in chemistry-related fields.
American Indian Education Fund
Applicants must attend college full-time and present documentation of tribal enrollment for themselves or a parent to be eligible
American Legion Legacy Scholarship
Provides college scholarship money to children of post-9/11 veterans who died on active duty or have a combined VA disability rating of 50 percent or greater.
Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund
APIA Scholars provides scholarships to underserved APIA students with a special focus on those who: live at or below the poverty level, or are otherwise of low socioeconomic status; are the first in their families to attend college; are representative of the APIA community's diversity, geographically and ethnically, especially those ethnicities that have been underrepresented on college campuses due to limited access and opportunity; and show evidence of community service, leadership and academic achievement.
College Board Opportunity Scholarships
Open to all entering students in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories. Complete key steps along the path of applying to college for a chance to earn scholarships which are awarded through monthly drawings. At least half of scholarships will be designated for students whose families earn less than $60,000 per year.
Congressional Black Caucus Spouses Essay Contest
The competition is open to African-American and Black junior and senior high school students from the districts of Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members. Applicants must be a constituent of a CBC member’s district to be eligible.
David and Dovetta Wilson Fund
Applicants must be a graduating senior of a U.S. public high school, either a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and active in religious or community organizations.
The Dream.US Scholarship Program
This program provides college scholarships to highly motivated students who entered the United States as minors under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protect Status (TPS), and who, without financial assistance, cannot afford a college education. First-time college students (with no more than 21 college credits) with a high-school GPA of 2.5 or higher are eligible.
Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund
Provides education assistance for postsecondary study to children or legal dependents under the age of 25 of full- or part-time permanent federal civilian or postal employees (Blacks in Government (BIG) federal employee members may also sponsor a grandchild.) Also, spouses of full- or part-time permanent civilian federal or postal employees; full- or part-time permanent civilian federal or postal employees, and children or grandchildren of members of the National Active and Retired Federal
Employees Association (NARFE). Must have 3.0 GPA.
Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund Scholarships
Federal employees with at least three years service, their spouses, and their dependents are eligible to apply. Dependents and spouses must be full-time students, employees may be part-time students. Must have 3.0 GPA, and dependents must be under age 25.
Golden Krust Foundation Scholarships
Open to high school seniors who have demonstrated community service and have a 3.0 GPA..
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Students must have 3.0 GPA and be a US citizen or legal permanent resident. The Hispanic Scholarship Fund administers numerous scholarships; check individual program details to verify eligibility.
Horatio Alger Association Scholarships
High school students must be under 30, US citizens, in financial need, and plan to pursue and complete a career or technical program of up to two years.
HRSA Nurse Corps Scholarship Program
This program enables students accepted or enrolled in a nursing program to receive funding for tuition, fees and other educational costs, as well as a stipend, in exchange for working two years at an eligible Critical Shortage Facility upon graduation.
League Foundation LGBTQ Scholarships
The foundation offers scholarships for self-identifying gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender high school seniors entering their first year of institutions of higher learning.. Must have a 3.0 GPA and demonstrate community involvement.
Lighthouse Guild College Bound Scholarships
Merit-based scholarship program helps up to 10 outstanding legally blind high school students with college expenses.
Live Out Loud Young Trailblazers Scholarships
This award is open to graduating high school seniors from the tri-state area who identify as LGBTQ. Awards are based on past leadership, community service involvement, academic credentials, and more.
NAACP Scholarships
Scholarships are available for African-American students who are US citizens and under age 25. Must have a 2.5 GPA and demonstrate financial need.
National Black Police Association Scholarship
Scholarship is open to high school seniors who are U.S. citizens planning to major in Criminal Justice.
National Federation of the Blind
Applicants must be legally blind in both eyes. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence, community service and leadership.
Random House Inc. Creative Writing Scholarship
This is a writing contest for high school seniors. Submissions may be poetry, fiction, drama, personal essay or memoir, or a graphic novel.
United Federation of Teachers Albert Shanker Scholarship Fund
Applicants must be New York City public high school seniors who will graduate from a vocational, academic or alternative school or will receive an equivalency diploma from a public evening school or a New York City Board of Education alternative educational program. Must also be eligible for Pell Grants. See scholarship instructions for family income requirements. Appears to be open to all majors.
U.S. Bank Student Union Scholarships
Offers scholarships awarded by random drawing. Students who complete financial literacy modules earn additional entries for each module, for up to 9 entries per applicant.
U.S. Marine Corps Scholarships
Scholarship program for children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen, including awards for active duty, reserve or veteran Marines and Navy Corpsmen, children of Marines and Navy Corps who were killed in action, and other specific populations. Must have minimum 2.0 GPA.

Community College Student Scholarships

Be sure to check out CUNY's list of external scholarships specifically for community college students in addition to the scholarships below.

The Dream.US Scholarship Program
The Dream.US Scholarship Program provides college scholarships to highly motivated students who entered the United States as minors under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protect Status (TPS), and who, without financial assistance, cannot afford a college education. Community college graduates with a GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible for scholarships to transfer to a four-year college.
Horatio Alger Career and Technical Scholarships
Open to students under 30 who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their lives and wish to pursue an education at an accredited non-profit post-secondary institution in the United States.
Kaplan Leadership Program
The focus of KLP is to help high-achieving community college students of color transfer to top colleges and universities to complete their bachelor's degrees. Applicants to KLP will also be considered for the Transfer Initiative Program (TIP), with both programs providing funding to cover the following costs: transcript fees, financial aid application fees (CSS Profile), ACT/SAT testing fees, and writing instruction.
New York State Transfer and Articulation Association Scholarship
Students who have completed an Associate in Arts, Associate in Science or Associate in Applied Science from an active NYSTAA two-year member college (QCC is included), have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 and apply for and plan on attending a current four-year NYSTAA member institution are eligible.
New York University Community College Transfer Opportunity Program (CCTOP)
This is a scholarship and assistance program for students transferring from partnership community colleges such as QCC into NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Eligible students are nominated by a faculty member or administrator at their community college to be considered for the scholarship.

Scholarships for All College Students

These scholarships are open to currently enrolled undergraduate students. Some require a specific major while others are open to all. Most require a minimum 3.0 GPA. Read the application instructions carefully for eligibility requirements. Some scholarships are renewable; others are one-time only. Renewable scholarships typically require recipients to reapply each year.

American Indian Education Fund
Applicants must attend college full-time and present documentation of tribal enrollment for themselves or a parent to be eligible
American Legion Legacy Scholarship
Those eligible to apply for the scholarship shall be the child/children or legally adopted child/children or a child of a spouse by a prior marriage or dependent child as defined by the United States Armed Services of active duty United States military and National Guard, and military reservists who were federalized and die on active duty on or after September 11, 2001.
Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund
APIA Scholars provides scholarships to underserved APIA students with a special focus on those who: live at or below the poverty level, or are otherwise of low socioeconomic status; are the first in their families to attend college; are representative of the APIA community's diversity, geographically and ethnically, especially those ethnicities that have been underrepresented on college campuses due to limited access and opportunity; and show evidence of community service, leadership and academic achievement.
Congressional Black Caucus Spouses Education Scholarships
These are awarded to full-time African-American or Black students pursuing careers through an associates or higher degree. Selected applicants will be US citizens or permanent US residents and constituents of a CBC member’s district.
The Dream.US Scholarship Program
The Dream.US Scholarship Program provides college scholarships to highly motivated students who entered the United States as minors under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protect Status (TPS), and who, without financial assistance, cannot afford a college education.
Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund
Provides education assistance for postsecondary study to financially needy dependents of people killed or permanently disabled as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks or rescue activities. Children must have been born prior to September 30, 2008 and enroll in a program of postsecondary study by age 24 to be eligible.
Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund Scholarships
Federal employees with at least three years service, their spouses, and their dependents are eligible to apply. Dependents and spouses must be full-time students, employees may be part-time students. Must have 3.0 GPA, and dependents must be under the age of 25..
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Students must have 3.0 GPA and be a US Citizen or legal permanent resident. The Hispanic Scholarship Fund administers numerous scholarships; check individual program details to verify eligibility.
NAACP Scholarships
Scholarships are available for African-American students who are US citizens and under age 25. Must have a 2.5 GPA and demonstrate financial need.
Natiional Federation of the Blind
Applicants must be legally blind in both eyes. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence, community service and leadership.
Opportunity NYCHA Scholarships
A variety of scholarships are available to NYC Housing Authority residents or tenants with project-based Section 8 subsidy or portable Section 8 vouchers. They must be full-time students or students with disabilities at CUNY colleges.
Pan Hellenic Scholarships
Open to students of Hellenic descent who are registered for full time study in the fall after high school graduation. All majors are eligible. Half of awards are based on financial need and academic merit and half are based solely on academic merit.
Roothbert Fund Scholarships
While the Fund does not emphasize any particular religious practice or worship, scholarships are aimed at students motivated by spiritual values. Grants have been awarded to persons entering a variety of careers, but preference is given to those considering careers in education and have high scholastic achievement.
Hebrew Free Loan Society/UJA-Federation of NY Scholarship Programs
The Rose Biller Scholarship Fund is open to Jewish residents of the New York metropolitan area with financial need. Students must have completed at least one year of college. The Jean and Albert Nerken Scholarship Fund is open to needy international students who are not U.S. citizens and are engaged in secular studies in the same geographic area.
U.S. Bank Student Union Scholarships
Offers scholarships awarded by random drawing. Students who complete financial literacy modules earn additional entries for each module, for up to 9 entries per applicant.
U.S. Marine Corps Scholarships
Scholarship program for children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen, including awards for active duty, reserve or veteran Marines and Navy Corpsmen, children of Marines and Navy Corps who were killed in action, and other specific populations.

New York State Scholarships

New York State offers a number of scholarships for students who excelled in high school or who may be pursuing particular academic objectives in special programs. Some are listed below. For the full list, go to the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) website.

Excelsior Scholarship
The Excelsior Scholarship, in combination with other student financial aid programs, allows students to attend a SUNY or CUNY college tuition-free.
NYS Aid for Part-time Study (APTS) Program
provides grant assistance for eligible part-time students enrolled in approved undergraduate studies.
NYS Memorial Scholarships
Provides financial aid to full-time students who are children, spouses or financial dependents of deceased firefighters, volunteer firefighters, police officers, peace officers (including NYS Correction Officers), and emergency medical service workers who have died as the result of injuries sustained in the line of duty in service to the State of New York.
NYS Part-Time Scholarship (PTS) Award Program
Provides tuition awards that cover the cost of six credit hours or $1,500 per term, whichever is less, to students attending a SUNY or CUNY community college who are enrolled in at least 6 but less than 12 credits.
Senator Jose Peralta New York State DREAM Act (DREAM Act)
This program allows undocumented and other eligible students to apply for New York State financial aid. The NYS DREAM Act application is used to determine student eligibility under the provisions of the NYS DREAM Act.