To apply, students must be:

• Black American
• Incoming college freshman/current high school senior, or a student transferring from a two-year program into a four-year program
• Eligible for Federal Pell Grant funding
• Able to show proven financial need
• A U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
• In good academic standing
• Enrolling in an accredited, not-for-profit four-year institution
• Pursuing a degree in civil, electrical, mechanical, or chemical engineering, including any subfield of those disciplines
  .

*Eligibility for Federal Pell Grant funding is calculated by the U.S. Department of Education after a student submits the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For more information regarding eligibility, visit StudentAid.gov. For steps on how to locate your Student Aid Report from your completed FAFSA application, click here.

The Black American Engineering Scholarship Award will not be offering scholarship awards for the 2025/2026 school year.

It is the student’s responsibility to facilitate a meeting between the Black American Engineering Scholarship Award Program and the university’s financial aid office. Funds are dispersed before the due dates established during these meetings.

Funds are paid directly to the university.

Scholarship recipients will need to work with their university to determine their total cost of attendance, minus any financial aid provided by the university, federal grants and/or outside scholarships. The Black American Engineering Scholarship will then cover any amount leftover, up to $10,000.

Black American Engineering Scholarship funding cannot be used for late payment fees, personal travel/relocation expenses, or any cost that is not paid directly to a university.

Selected candidates receive substantial assistance that is designed to close the financial gap left after the Pell Grant is used for tuition. Scholarship funding can be applied to school expenses like tuition, books, fees, and room and board provided through your university.

You may. Whether or not you’ll owe taxes on the scholarship as income depends on how funds are used. Visit this IRS page for more information and consult a tax professional for guidance.

To apply, you’ll need to fill out the application and provide these documents:

• Current HS or Two-Year College Transcript
• Two letters of recommendation. They must be from 1) a science teacher and 2) a math teacher
• Student Aid Report (SAR) from your FAFSA documentation.

The amount received by the Black American Engineering Scholarship Award will depend on the policies of your chosen university and their offered financial aid package.

Some universities might displace school-issued aid when students receive third-party scholarships, while others may have the opportunity to add scholarships onto your total financial aid package. Our staff will work with your financial aid officer to ensure you are receiving the highest possible amount of financial support.

The scholarship will pay up to $10,000 per academic year, but not over that amount.

The Black American Engineering Scholarship will provide funds up to $10,000; it is not a $10,000 flat award. Any amount for tuition, room and board, books, and educational fees that is less than $10,000 will be covered by the scholarship. As a flexible scholarship, the funds are controlled by the university and dispersed directly to the university as needed. Scholars whose expenses exceed $10,000 will need to provide proof that they can cover the remaining costs.

The Black American Engineering Scholarship Award will not be offering scholarship awards for the 2025/2026 school year.

Students usually need a combination of scholarship funding, merit awards, university grants, and federal financial aid to cover the cost of tuition.

Scholarship offers are made in April, ahead of most university’s commitment day in May, students need to know how they will cover the cost of tuition. Students usually need a combination of scholarship funding, merit awards, university grants, and federal financial aid to cover the cost of tuition.

You might. The scholarship focuses on developing students pursuing the classical engineering fields of civil, mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering and any subfield of these specific disciplines. If your degree falls under your university’s college of engineering, you qualify for the Black American Engineering Scholarship.

No. The Black American Engineering Scholarship Award is for students with a high school diploma. Although you are not eligible for this scholarship with a GED diploma, the following websites may be helpful: College Board Scholarship Search and College Greenlight. 

Yes! You may apply for the Black American Engineering Scholarship if you meet the criteria and have an AA degree or are transferring to a four-year university that is accredited and not-for-profit.

Should the need arise, a scholarship recipient may seek approval from the scholarship committee to defer to the next period of study, for up to one year. No scholarship funds will be dispersed during the deferment period.

The mentorship component of the scholarship is an organized program that may include formal and informal extra-curricular events, training, networking, and socializing to provide the best possible outcomes for career success and to shape the professional identity and career goals of each scholar.

Mentors also offer one-on-one sessions and guidance. At the start of the program, each recipient will be assigned a mentor based on professional interests and personal goals. The scholarship committee will communicate directly with the scholars regarding details of mentor assignments and the program itself.

To remain eligible, you must submit:

• A completed FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) prior to each academic year.
• Transcripts showing that you are continuing to meet your institution’s academic requirements, at the beginning of each academic year.
• Enrollment Verification forms dated the day after the start of each new term.
• Obtain a satisfactory performance review from your mentor and the scholarship committee at the end of each academic year

Additionally, students must reply to communication from the BAES team in a professional and responsive manner. Students who do not reply to communication will not be considered for future awards.

If you have an FSA ID, you can view your SAR by:

1. Selecting “Log In” on the FAFSA home page;
2. Entering your FSA ID
3. Selecting “View or Print your Student Aid Report (SAR)” from the “My FAFSA” page.

For more information, visit https://studentaid.gov/help/view-sar.

You have the opportunity to upload your recommendation letters through the online application. Alternatively, recommendation letters can be emailed to [email protected] with the subject line “Recommendation Letter for (student name)”.

Recommendation letters can also be mailed to:

The Helping Project
Attn: Black American Engineering Scholarship Award
1180 Ponce De Leon Blvd. #201 
Clearwater, FL 33756

Coming soon!

Fill out the form below or email The Helping Project team at [email protected] with any other questions you have about the Black American Engineering Scholarship Award.