Best Grants for Minorities in Iowa

Nonprofit and community organizations in Iowa that engage AmeriCorps members in community service and volunteer programs can apply for funding to strengthen underserved communities. With a mission to improve lives through service, Volunteer Iowa provides support for initiatives such as minority services, youth mental health, poverty alleviation, environmental stewardship, and civic engagement that may benefit diverse and underrepresented Iowans.

Iowa NCAA Division II schools and multisport conference offices can access funding through the National Collegiate Athletic Association to create full-time, entry-level athletics administration internships for ethnic minorities and women. Awards of US $30,000 plus professional development support one-year positions in areas like strategic planning, compliance, student-athlete welfare, and diversity initiatives.

Iowa NCAA Division II conferences and institutions seeking to improve ethnic minority and gender representation in mid- to senior-level athletics administration can access funding through the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Grants support full-time positions with responsibilities such as strategic planning, budgeting, fundraising, compliance, diversity initiatives, and student-athlete welfare over a five-year commitment.

NCAA Division II member colleges creating new assistant coaching positions to increase ethnic minority and gender representation can receive US $48,000 over three years for salary, wages, and benefits. With a mission to advance inclusive athletics, National Collegiate Athletic Association provides Iowa and other Division II institutions with support for diversity-focused coaching roles in any NCAA-sponsored sport.

NCAA Division III conferences and institutions in Iowa and nationwide can apply for grants to create full-time, mid- to senior-level athletics administration positions advancing ethnic minority and gender representation. The National Collegiate Athletic Association supports roles involving strategic planning, budgeting, fundraising, compliance, diversity initiatives, and student-athlete welfare through this five-year Strategic Alliance Matching Grant.

Iowa NCAA Division III member institutions seeking to create new assistant coaching positions that increase ethnic minority and gender representation can receive salary and benefits support through this grant. National Collegiate Athletic Association provides Iowa athletic programs with two years of matching funding for a new assistant coach role to advance diversity in any NCAA-sponsored sport.

Iowa minority health and physical education professionals who are long-time SHAPE America members can be honored for scholarship, mentorship, and service advancing ethnic minority and underserved communities. Iowa minority educators can access funding through Society of Health and Physical Educators’ E.B. Henderson Award, which recognizes up to two recipients annually across the U.S.

Presbyterian undergraduates in Iowa and across the U.S. seeking their first associate or bachelor’s degree can receive scholarship support for full-time study. Grants from Presbyterian Mission Agency help Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) members, including Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian American students, attend accredited colleges or universities during the 2025–2026 academic year, with awards up to US $6,000.

Focused on higher and technical education, The Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond invites minority students to pursue postsecondary study through the John E. Thomasson Scholarship. Youth of African American or other minority heritage in Louisa or Fluvanna County (VA) public schools may be eligible for US $1,000 awards, which can complement other aid for Iowa-focused programs.

Graduating high school seniors or GED students pursuing higher education who are students of color and have significant financial need may be eligible for the Learning Seed Foundation Scholarship in Iowa and beyond, with awards of US $3,000. Community Foundation of South Puget Sound manages this renewable scholarship, prioritizing applicants who demonstrate a strong commitment to others.

Iowa Black, Indigenous, and other students of color pursuing marketing, advertising, design, or computer science studies can seek scholarship support for their education. Focused on diversity in advertising and related digital fields, Innovia Foundation invites applicants who show academic achievement, with preference for those engaged in school activities, community service, or work experience.

Students of color pursuing higher education, including those from Iowa, can seek scholarship support for college costs such as tuition, fees, and room and board. With a mission to support students of color, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts provides up to US $3,000 through the Loren and Norma Hill Scholarship Fund, with preference for residents of Hampden County.

Undergraduate engineering students from marginalized ethnic or gender groups in Iowa and across the U.S. can apply for Architecture Foundation of Oregon’s renewable PAE Diversity in Engineering Scholarship, awarding up to US $20,000 for tuition and other direct educational costs. Applicants must study accredited engineering and show commitment to climate justice and community impact.

Nonprofit organizations running research-backed programs to recruit or retain Black, Latina, and Native American women and girls in college-level computing may be eligible for funding in Iowa and nationwide. Reboot Representation Tech Coalition supports multi-geometry, community-embedded initiatives with strong impact data and at least five years of experience serving these minority communities.

American Indian and Alaska Native students starting a STEM PhD in the U.S., including those from Iowa, can apply for Montana State University’s LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate support; awards US $88,000 for graduate study. Eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens and past participants in an LSAMP undergraduate program.

Indigenous undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields, including those from Iowa, can apply for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society’s Indian Motorcycle Academic Scholarship, awarding US $5,000 per year for education costs. Eligible applicants must be AISES members with a 3.0 GPA and tribal, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or Indigenous Canadian affiliation.

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 HEEF: Hispanic Education Endowment Fund Scholarship provides academic financial support to US Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Dream Act/AB 540 students residing in Orange County, California. With awards starting at $2,500, this fund assists high school and community college transfers who demonstrate financial need and plan to enroll in a four-year college or university in Fall 2025. Additional donor-specific sub-funds offer varying amounts, enhancing accessibility to higher education.

About

Central Carolina Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps generous people give back to the Midlands of South Carolina in ways that matter. Since 1984, we’ve been a trusted partner, helping individuals, families, and businesses make smart, meaningful contributions that support local nonprofits, scholarships, and community projects.

LinkScholars Program Scholarship ($2,000) 

This renewable scholarship supports graduating high school seniors from Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Richland, or Sumter counties in South Carolina.

Our Mission

UNCF envisions a nation where all Americans have equal access to a college education that prepares them for rich intellectual lives, competitive and fulfilling careers, engaged citizenship and service to our nation.

UNCF’s mission is to build a robust and nationally-recognized pipeline of under-represented students who, because of UNCF support, become highly-qualified college graduates and to ensure that our network of member institutions is a respected model of best practice in moving students to and through college.

UNCF’s North Star is to increase the total annual number of African American college graduates by focusing on activities that ensure more students are college-ready, enroll in college and persist to graduation. This is done through a three-pillar strategy. Positioning member institutions as a viable college option for students and investing in institutional capacity to improve student outcomes; creating transformational support programs to ensure students are enrolling and persisting through college completion; building awareness of educational attainment and cultivating college-going behaviors within the African American community.

About the UNCF Lighted Pathways Program

Increasing the number of Black investment management professionals one opportunity at a time

According to The American College and the CFP Board, African Americans only make up 5% of financial advisors and 2% of certified financial planners (CFP), even though African Americans represent 13.4% of the U.S. population.

The UNCF Lighted Pathways programs meets the disparity and lack of Black talent in asset management through the UNCF Lighted Pathways initiative which provides scholarships and internships to African American undergraduate students interested in the investment management industry. Through this initiative, UNCF Lighted Pathways aims to create a career pathway to attract, develop, and retain Black talent for the asset management industry.

The UNCF Lighted Pathways Program excites, educates, and empowers young people by supporting personal and professional development, driving company performance, and providing the asset management industry the talent they need to meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. This program offers students a glimpse inside the dynamic, global asset management industries and the career opportunities, potential and rewards within them.

Students are afforded the opportunity to receive $5,000 in scholarships and/or participate in internships in the financial industry provided by the program’s partners.

Native Forward awards are allocated based on the financial aid information provided by the institution’s Financial Aid Office. Awards can vary, ranging from $100 to $30,000 per academic year.

Native Forward Scholars Fund members of federally and state-recognized Tribes as well as first and second-generation descendants. However, Native Forward Scholars Fund scholarship opportunities have different Tribal eligibility requirements and can be determined by submitting a Tribal Eligibility Certificate.

Grace Wall Barreda Memorial Scholarship

This opportunity is provided to honor the life and legacy of Grace Wall Barreda.

The purpose of the Grace Wall Barreda Scholarship program is to provide financial assistance to eligible American Indian and Alaska Native graduate students pursuing degrees full-time at an accredited institution in Public Health or Environmental Science/Studies.

This opportunity is a need-based award.

Native Forward awards are allocated based on the financial aid information provided by the institution’s Financial Aid Office. Awards can vary, ranging from $100 to $30,000 per academic year.

Native Forward Scholars Fund members of federally and state-recognized Tribes as well as first and second-generation descendants. However, Native Forward Scholars Fund scholarship opportunities have different Tribal eligibility requirements and can be determined by submitting a Tribal Eligibility Certificate.

Wilson-Hooper Veterinary Medicine Assistance Program 

The Wilson-Hooper Veterinary Medicine Assistance Program, created in the memory of Jane Wilson Hooper and Colonel Philip L. Hooper, provides financial assistance to eligible American Indian and Alaska Native students pursuing a degree in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or Veterinary Technology (Associate of Applied Science) full-time at an accredited institution. 

The maximum amount of an academic year award is $5,000. This opportunity is a renewable, merit-based award.

Native Forward awards are allocated based on the financial aid information provided by the institution’s Financial Aid Office. Awards can vary, ranging from $100 to $30,000 per academic year.

Native Forward Scholars Fund members of federally and state-recognized Tribes as well as first and second-generation descendants. However, Native Forward Scholars Fund scholarship opportunities have different Tribal eligibility requirements and can be determined by submitting a Tribal Eligibility Certificate.

Wells Fargo Scholarship for Undergraduates

The Wells Fargo Scholarship for Undergraduates provides financial assistance to eligible American Indian and Alaska Native undergraduate students pursuing degrees full-time at an accredited institution in any field of study.

The maximum amount of an academic year award is $5,000. This opportunity is a need-based award.

Native Forward awards are allocated based on the financial aid information provided by the institution’s Financial Aid Office. Awards can vary, ranging from $100 to $30,000 per academic year.

Native Forward Scholars Fund members of federally and state-recognized Tribes as well as first and second-generation descendants. However, Native Forward Scholars Fund scholarship opportunities have different Tribal eligibility requirements and can be determined by submitting a Tribal Eligibility Certificate.

Wells Fargo American Indian Scholarship

The purpose of the Wells Fargo American Indian Scholarship program is to provide financial assistance to eligible American Indian and Alaska Native undergraduate (juniors and seniors) and graduate students pursuing degrees full-time at an accredited institution.

Undergraduate (juniors and seniors) students must be pursuing a degree in the gaming, tourism, financial, or hospitality industries. Graduate students must be pursuing a degree in business or a gaming/hospitality-related field. This includes banking, resort management, gaming operations, or management and administration (including accounting, finance, information technology, and human resources).

The maximum amount of an undergraduate award is $2,500 and the maximum amount of a graduate award is $5,000 per academic year. This opportunity is a need-based award.

Eligible American Indian and Alaska Native graduate students in Iowa can receive need-based scholarships for full-time study in any field at accredited U.S. institutions; awards range from $100 to $30,000 per year. Native Forward Scholars Fund supports members and descendants of federally or state-recognized Tribes who can document Tribal affiliation.

American Indian and Alaska Native college students in Iowa facing emergency financial hardships can apply for Native Forward Scholars Fund’s PNM Pueblo Relief Scholarship, which provides one-time relief for urgent education-related expenses. Eligible applicants must be full-time degree-seeking students at accredited U.S. institutions and verify Tribal affiliation or descent through a Tribal Eligibility Certificate.

Native American and Alaska Native graduate or professional students in nursing or health-related fields, including those from Iowa, can apply for Native Forward Scholars Fund’s Ruth Muskrat Bronson Scholarship, a need-based award for full-time study at accredited U.S. institutions. Eligible applicants must document Tribal affiliation through a Tribal Eligibility Certificate.