Opportunity Details

We’re on a mission to increase opportunity for African American students and reduce the racial and gender gaps that currently exist in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who reside in Hampton Roads (Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Isle of Wight, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg), be African American, demonstrate financial need, and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Applicants must be enrolled to attend an accredited U.S. College or university in the fall or spring as a Full Time, degree-seeking, first-year student and show a commitment to pursuing a STEM-related degree. African American veterans with honorable discharge pursuing a STEM-related College degree for the first time are also eligible. For more information or to apply, please visit the scholarship provider’s website.

To support black youth and veterans pursuing STEM degrees through higher education, United Way of South Hampton Roads’ African American Leadership Society created the STEM Scholarship Program funded by USAA. This initiative is designed to provide scholarship and academic support for African American high school students and veterans who aspire to earn STEM degrees and pursue careers in the STEM field. The program enables highly capable young people and veteran adult students to pursue undergraduate STEM majors and prepares them for successful careers in a variety of STEM professions. The application is open to high school seniors and veterans entering College as first-time freshmen in the fall or the spring of the year the award is offered. The program will award one-time scholarships to 120 African American students. Each scholarship recipient will receive up to $10,000 to use toward their education. Females will account for 50% of scholarship recipients and 25% will be awarded to applicants who qualify as first-generation College students.