Best Grants for Minorities in Arkansas

Nonprofit organizations, hospitals, public schools, and government agencies in Arkansas can seek funding for programs serving African American and other underserved residents, including education, health, youth development, families, and economic development. With a mission to strengthen communities, Arkansas Community Foundation provides support that considers impact, sustainability, collaboration, and local financial backing; typical awards range from US $1,000 - US $2,500.

Arkansas colleges and athletic conferences serving minority communities can access funding through the National Collegiate Athletic Association to create full-time, entry-level athletics administration internships. Grants provide US $30,000 for intern salary plus professional development support, helping increase ethnic minority and women’s representation in Division II athletic administration roles for one academic year.

Arkansas NCAA Division II conferences and institutions seeking to increase ethnic minority and women’s representation in mid- to senior-level athletics administration can access funding through the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Grants support five-year, full-time administrative positions with responsibilities like strategic planning, budgeting, fundraising, compliance, diversity initiatives, and student-athlete welfare, within a broader national program.

NCAA Division II member colleges creating new assistant coaching positions to increase ethnic minority and gender representation in athletics can apply for this coaching enhancement grant, including schools in Arkansas. With a mission to support diversity in sports, the National Collegiate Athletic Association provides US $48,000 over three years toward salary, wages, and benefits.

NCAA Division III conferences and institutions working to increase ethnic minority and gender representation in mid- to senior-level athletics administration roles in Arkansas can apply for the Strategic Alliance Matching Grant. This National Collegiate Athletic Association program supports full-time positions handling strategic planning, budgeting, fundraising, compliance, diversity initiatives, and student-athlete welfare over a five-year commitment.

Arkansas NCAA Division III member colleges and universities can receive funding to create new assistant coaching positions that increase ethnic minority and gender representation in any NCAA-sponsored sport. National Collegiate Athletic Association provides Arkansas athletic programs with two years of salary and benefits support, helping advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Division III coaching staffs serving minority athletes.

Arkansas minority health and physical education professionals with long-term SHAPE America membership can be honored for scholarship, mentorship, and service that expand opportunities for ethnic minorities and underserved groups. Arkansas minority educators can access funding through Society of Health and Physical Educators’ E.B. Henderson Award, which recognizes up to two outstanding members annually across the U.S.

Presbyterian undergraduate students in Arkansas and across the U.S. seeking their first associate or bachelor’s degree can receive scholarship support for full-time study at accredited colleges or universities. Grants from Presbyterian Mission Agency may particularly benefit Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian American Presbyterian students through its Financial Aid for Service programs.

Students of color pursuing higher education, including those from Arkansas, can seek scholarships supporting college costs such as tuition, fees, and room and board. With a mission to support educational opportunities, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts provides up to US $3,000 for one academic year, and applicants are considered for multiple scholarship funds through a single application.

Graduating high school or GED students pursuing higher education who are primarily students of color and have significant financial need may be eligible for the Learning Seed Foundation Scholarship, including minorities in Arkansas studying in the U.S. Community Foundation of South Puget Sound offers about US $3,000, renewable for up to three additional undergraduate years.

Focused on postsecondary education for minority youth, The Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond invites students of African American or other minority heritage to apply for the John E. Thomasson Scholarship. Arkansas students may be eligible if they attended Louisa or Fluvanna County (Virginia) public schools and are admitted to an accredited college or technical school.

Focused on minority education, Innovia Foundation invites Arkansas students of color studying marketing, advertising, design, or computer science to apply for the Diversity in Advertising Scholarship. Eligible applicants must live within Innovia’s 20-county service region, attend an accredited institution, and demonstrate academic achievement; community service and work experience receive special consideration.

Nonprofit organizations with a 5+ year track record serving Black, Latina, and Native American women and girls can seek funding to recruit and retain them in college-level computing programs, including in Arkansas. Reboot Representation Tech Coalition prioritizes multi-geometry, research-backed initiatives, which may benefit minority-serving education and equity programs.

Undergraduate engineering students from marginalized ethnicities or genders in Arkansas can apply for the Architecture Foundation of Oregon’s PAE Diversity in Engineering Scholarship, awarding up to US $20,000 for tuition and other direct educational costs. Eligible students study mechanical, electrical, renewable energy, architectural, or civil engineering at a U.S. four-year college and are passionate about climate justice.

American Indian and Alaska Native students in STEM who are U.S. citizens and entering a PhD program can apply for Montana State University's LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate support, awarding US $88,000 in stipends and education allowances. Eligible scholars from Arkansas and nationwide must also have participated in an undergraduate LSAMP program.

Indigenous undergraduate and graduate students in STEM, including those from Arkansas, can apply for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society’s Indian Motorcycle Academic Scholarship, awarding US $5,000 per year for academic study. Eligible applicants must be AISES members, full-time students in qualifying STEM fields, and meet tribal or Indigenous ancestry and GPA requirements.

The Avel Louise Gordly Scholarship supports Black women graduates of Oregon high schools who wish to pursue post-secondary education in Oregon or at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Award amounts vary, with the possibility of renewal for up to four years. Eligible applicants must be Oregon residents, identify as Black and female, and enroll at least half-time in a public or nonprofit private college or university in the United States.

The Urban Indian Health 4-in-1 Program is designed to enhance the health and well-being of urban Native Americans through targeted initiatives in immunization, health promotion, disease prevention, mental health support, and addressing alcohol and substance abuse issues. Funded by the US Dept. of Health & Human Services, this program aims to improve access to essential health services and foster healthier communities among urban Indian populations.

The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts administers over 160 scholarships. Some of the funds help students from a particular school or area; others provide financial assistance to those pursuing a specific field of study; still others assist students that are most in need. Students who apply to the Scholarship program may be eligible for many of these funds. 

Scholarships are provided for one academic year and are not automatically renewed each year. You can reapply to our program every year you are going to attend college, and the application you submit that year will be considered for all scholarships for which you are eligible

Latino Scholarship Fund

To support graduating Latino high school seniors from Hampden and Hampshire Counties.

Additional Guidelines

• Students can receive up to $3,000 in scholarships from the Community Foundation.
• Scholarship awards could impact the financial aid offered by a college, and students are advised to check with their college financial aid offices about this.
• Scholarships may be used to offset tuition, fees, room and board, and other items included as part of the cost for attending the institution. Some part and/or all the award could be considered taxable income. It is advisable students check with the college or tax accountant regarding this matter.

Self-Defense Grants for MMIR Day

Facilitators, educators, organizers — May 5th is the Day of Awareness for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Relatives. In honor of that day, we are offering mini grants to host a self-defense workshop for Indigenous girls and gender-expansive youth.

Why self-defense?

• Native women are murdered at 10x the national rate
• 84% experience violence in their lifetime
• Over 5,700 Native girls go missing each year

We also name the invisible crisis:

• Indigenous people from Mexico & Central America (Maya, Nahua, Zapotec, Mixtec, Lenca, and others) living in the U.S. face detention, deportation, and disappearances that are rarely counted in MMIR data.
• When a Tzotzil 18 year old like Royer Perez Jimenez dies in ICE custody, the silence is deafening.

Self-defense must include all Indigenous relatives.

XCNC has:

• $500 mini grants for stipends, space, supplies, and translation.

What we ask:

• Plan a workshop between May 5–31, 2026, rooted in community care.

The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts administers over 160 scholarships. Some of the funds help students from a particular school or area; others provide financial assistance to those pursuing a specific field of study; still others assist students that are most in need. Students who apply to the Scholarship program may be eligible for many of these funds. 

Scholarships are provided for one academic year and are not automatically renewed each year. You can reapply to our program every year you are going to attend college, and the application you submit that year will be considered for all scholarships for which you are eligible.

Latino Breakfast Club Scholarship Fund   

To support graduating Latino high school seniors from Hampden County.

Additional Guidelines

Students can receive up to $3,000 in scholarships from the Community Foundation.

Scholarship awards could impact the financial aid offered by a college, and students are advised to check with their college financial aid offices about this.

Scholarships may be used to offset tuition, fees, room and board, and other items included as part of the cost for attending the institution. Some part and/or all the award could be considered taxable income. It is advisable students check with the college or tax accountant regarding this matter.

The Talati Family Scholarship Fund, administered by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, aims to support students of color pursuing higher education. Students can apply through a single online application, which connects them to various scholarships based on eligibility. Awards can reach up to $3,000 and may impact financial aid offers. This scholarship is available to undergraduate and graduate students attending accredited institutions in the U.S., particularly those from Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties.

David & Priscilla Morris Scholarship

The David and Priscilla Morris Scholarship was established to provide tuition support for Black or African American students attending Western Michigan University.

KZCF scholarships may be applied to any items under your school’s cost of attendance (COA). Each school has a different COA that may include items such as tuition, fees, housing, transportation, food, health insurance, etc. Scholarship payments are sent directly to your institution.

This scholarship is a one-time award, meaning that it will not repeat in subsequent years. The money awarded can be applied to your education costs alongside other scholarships or funding that you may receive, and there are no necessary steps once funds are sent.

Every Battle Creek area resident shall have the resources to access post-secondary education and training.

Your dreams matter — and we want to help you achieve them. Whether you’re a graduating high school senior, an adult returning to school, or a graduate student pursuing advanced education, we’re here to support you by opening doors to opportunity.

Beyond tuition, many funds support total cost of attendance — books, fees, equipment, and in some cases childcare or transportation.

Checks are made payable to the educational institution indicated on the follow-up and mailed directly to the educational institution. Checks are typically mailed in early August.

Leroy McKinney Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund

This scholarship was created in memory of Leroy McKinney Jr., who was a graduate of Battle Creek Central High School, Class of 1988. Upon graduation, he studied Pre-Engineering in college. He also had an entrepreneurial spirit. Though he struggled with mental illness, one of his proudest accomplishments in life, was returning to college as an adult and completing his Bachelor's degree in Business Management. He would be honored to know this scholarship was created in his legacy to support other African American men to pursue their education in these fields.

The Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) program supports federally-recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and organizations in advancing health-related research. It aims to enhance research careers and infrastructure through a competitive application process. Funded by the US Dept. of Health & Human Services, this initiative invites eligible entities to apply, ensuring that only high-quality proposals undergo peer review for potential funding.

At the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, we work with donors, grantees, and advisors to address key community issues.

Nancy Waters and Mark Waters Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of Nancy and Mark Waters, who established the Nancy Waters and Mark Waters Scholarship of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. In recognition of what this community has meant to their family, Nancy and son, Mark, started this to support the educational, economic and community development needs and interests of African Americans in the greater Muskegon region. Through their leadership they are demonstrating how the Community Foundation can reach and support all its citizens. Mark passed away in 2015.

Generally the Community Foundation's scholarships are awarded to applicants who have high financial need. Applicants with household income exceeding $100,000 are less likely to be awarded, but applying will allow you to be considered for targeted scholarships.

Miller Johnson Michigan Diversity Law School Scholarship

Open to students of color accepted to or presently attending an accredited law school within the US with a permanent residence in Michigan or attending a Michigan law school with financial need and a minimum 3.0 GPA.