Minority Government Grants

There are two major types of minority government grant opportunities. These grants are available for individual minority applicants or small businesses. Grants for minority individuals include education grants.

Minority Government Grants for Education

Higher education is becoming increasingly important to compete among other job applicants. At the start of one’s career, young adults are often hired on their education and training. Most will agree that higher education is a worthwhile investment, however, many minority students do not have the income or savings to pay for tuition.

The good news is that there are government grants for minorities to further their education. The majority of college students receive some form of financial assistance for tuition, which includes grants.

Government grants for minority and non-minority education include:

Pell Grants: These are the most prevalent of the federal grants for minorities and others. The size of the grant depends on financial need. The maximum grant is $5,500 per student, per year.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG): This grant is only given to students who also qualify for a Pell Grant. The grant can be used in combination with a Pell Grant to pay for tuition.
Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant: This grant is for students who want to be teachers. There is a requirement that a person receiving a grant teach for at least 2 years in an underserved school and teaching a school subject where there is need (e.g., math, science, English).
Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG): This grant is available to college freshmen and sophomores who have financial need (Pell grant eligible) and a minimum 3.0 grade point average. These grants are modest ($750 for freshman and $1,300 for sophomores).
National Science & Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant): This grant is a maximum of $4,000 for 3rd or 4th year students in higher education. A 3.0 minimum GPA and financial need must be proven to win this grant.

To apply for grants for college, a minority student fills out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The application is available online and a student updates it through his or her university career. There is also a Spanish language version of the FAFSA.

Minority Government Grants for Small Business

There are free information resources and grant opportunities for minority business owners.

Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA.gov). This federal government agency, which is part of the Department of Commerce, is committed to wealth creation in minority communities. The MBDA web site contains a variety of information related to minority business development and partnership ideas.

Small Business Administration (SBA.gov). The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a federal government agency devoted to the development of small businesses, which comprise 99% of the entire U.S. business sector. The SBA does not award start-up or expansion grants to any business, including minority owned businesses. However, there are state and local grants, loans, and financing opportunities.