There is a stereotype that most black teens will either not end up not graduating high school, not going to college, or not making making it out of college. But what about those who can make it, and be the one to finish college with a degree. I am one of those students, but its difficult to be passionate about a goal that is really expensive.
Most of my peers want to stay in an environment were they're comfortable, and will enjoy in college, so the first place we think to look is at historically black colleges, and universities. HBCUs are filled with so much culture, and spirit. Its a shame that we have to limited our opportunities to colleges that we can only afford, and that are close to home. I personally want to go to different places outside of where i live, and meet a different people.
I noticed that a larger amount of scholarships are given to students who don't go to HBCUs, and have a great educational background. I'm sure there are many students who would love to receive those scholarships, and who have an educational background just as great or even better. We have potential to go far. If only we had the money.
I would greatly appreciate it if I made it into college ,but I will not settle for any college, because of my financial issues.
I applied to Howard University, Spelman college, and Hampton University, and was accepted to each one. My final decision is Howard, but i am starting to become discouraged, because the tuition isn't affordable. I definitely know I can graduate college, and do well, but this is my only obstacle that is keeping me away from my dream.
Any one who is looking into HBCUs, but is feeling skeptical about going because of financial issues, DON"T GIVE UP! I'm in the same boat as you are. If you can make it as far as getting accepted, or just having the potential to do well don't let it go to waste. If this is your dream, you will stick to it. Keep searching for scholarships to help.
WHY AREN"T HBCUs BEING FUNDED?
I think it's more than just being an HBCU, most private schools (which is what many colleges are unless they're named something along the lines of "...State University") are having issues with funding. I go to a private undergrad school and it gives two scholarships - the Dean's and the President's. The Dean's is something like half the tuition and the President's I think is a free ride (and they're not guaranteed for your whole time, you have to keep a certain GPA and can only drop out of so many classes). However, they aren't given out to just anyone. I ranked within the top 2% or so on the ACT and was Valedictorian of my high school class and I only got the Dean's Scholarship.
I also work at a private law school. And despite the fact that the students pay something like $20k a semester (or something else obscene for their Juris Doctor), tuition accounts for something like 95% of the school's income. They have a couple scholarships, thanks to donations from faculty, staff, and alumni, but they aren't much.
Private schools depend on their students in order to operate. My guess is that HBCUs are generally a little on the smaller side (since they're aimed at a particular group, even though anyone can apply), which is starting to hurt them.
Don't just look to your school for the scholarships, though. There are many scholarships available. You probably found this place through FastWeb, which is a good source. Also, ask about them at your high school. One thing I was always told about scholarships was that there are so many out there that go completely unclaimed because no one knows about them. So, simply applying for them gives you a fairly decent chance at getting it. And don't turn down the smaller $100 or $500 scholarships, they add up, quickly. I ended up paying for my first two semesters or so with scholarships that were less than $1000 each.
There are also grants and loans, as well. You can get some pretty amazing grants, especially if you're female and going into an engineering field or other field that is still saturated with men. Loans, well, you'll have to pay them back, but the idea there is that you'll get your education and get a good job to help pay that off (ideally before the 30 years are through =D ).
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge