Howard University Scholarships Explained

Located in Washington, D.C., Howard University (HU) is an educational institution that attracts predominantly black students. Catering largely to a minority group didn’t stop the University from having high tuition and other education-related fees, such as the application ones.

The majority of HU students can’t afford these costs on their own, which is why they often end up in debts that take them years to repay. The best way to avoid going into debt is to secure one—or more—of Howard University scholarships and grants.

In this article, we’ll show you how you can obtain financial aid for yourself by explaining:

1. What types of financial aid exist
2. Where you can find various programs
3. How to apply for them
4. How to use DoNotPay to optimize your efforts

Howard University Scholarships—Why Do You Need Them?

The cost of attendance at Howard University can get quite high. Check out this table to see annual fees for different student groups:

The table above represents average estimates as each college program has different costs, such as:

• College of Dentistry—up to $87,672
• College of Pharmacy—up to $64,522
• School of Law—$67,920
• College of Medicine—up to $91,460
• School of Business—$74,126
• School of Divinity—$48,602

Only a small percentage of students can pay over $90,000 every year and not see it as a massive financial strain. Howard University scholarships offer help to students to reduce or eliminate their part in paying the cost of attendance.

Types of Scholarships for Howard University

A Howard University scholarship can come from various sources—the federal or local government, a private company, a donor, or the University itself. Financial aid programs for HU students are divided into two types:

1. Merit-based scholarships
2. Need-based grants and loans

Howard University Merit Scholarships

Merit programs offer help to students who have shown academic excellence in the previous year at college or during high school. Multiple factors go into judging one’s excellence, including:

• High GPA
• High ACT or SAT scores
• Letters of recommendation from mentors
• A resume of extracurricular activities, such as community service, volunteer work, and field-related projects
• Satisfactory academic progress (SAP)

Need-Based Howard University Scholarships

Students who can’t meet the requirements based on merit can still find financial awards. In that case, they need to show they have a valid need to receive non-repayable aid.

To do that, students have to provide their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to prove that they have an annual income that’s below a certain limit determined by the program itself.

When applying for need-based grants at HU, students need to:

• Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form—for U.S. students
• Fill out the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA) form—for international students
• Demonstrate Good Social Standing according to the University’s Student Handbook

Howard University Scholarships—Examples

HU freshmen or high school seniors who intend to enroll in the University can qualify for the Howard University Freshman Scholarships (HUFS). The HUFS doesn’t have an application form as all students get considered automatically.

Several awards are in the HUFS program, and they are mutually exclusive. Depending on whether they’re based on merit or need, students need to fill out the FAFSA form or show their high school GPA or SAT scores. The following table lists out the awards:

External Scholarships

Programs that don’t come from the federal government or the University are seen as external scholarships. If a student gets one of these, award providers usually send the funds to the student account instead of giving out a check.

External programs have their target groups, meaning that only certain student profiles are eligible to apply, such as:

• Gender—Women, transgender students, etc.
• Field of study—Creative writing, arts, engineering, etc.
• Level of study—Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, doctorates, etc.
• Minority group—Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians, etc.
• Religious group—Muslims, Catholics, Jewish, etc.
• Other specifics—Transfer students, veterans, senior citizens, immigrants, etc.

Some programs combine multiple factors—for instance, the Clare Boothe Luce Scholars Program is dedicated to women in STEM.

Other examples of external scholarships include:

• Morgan Stanley Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Scholarship
• Thurgood Marshall College Fund All Around Scholarship
• Sam Haskell Scholarship
• Delta Founders & Past National Presidents Endowed Scholarship

Where To Look for Howard University Scholarships

The most difficult part of getting financial aid is finding valuable info about a specific program—especially when it comes to external scholarships. You can spend weeks or even months scouring the internet to find an award you’re eligible for.

Checking out the following places can help you speed up the research process:

• HU website
• University’s financial aid office
• Online search tools
• Private financial aid consultants
• Organizations close to HU, such as United Negro College Fund, PUSH Excel, etc.

The good news is—you can skip the entire research process thanks to DoNotPay. Use our app to get a personalized list of all scholarships you’re eligible for by answering a few questions!

The Application Process for a Howard University Scholarship

Aside from the HUFS programs, all other awards have an application process you need to go through. The way you apply will depend on the individual program and the requirements you need to fulfill, so make sure you do your research before starting the process.

In general, you should always:

1. Check if you’re eligible
2. Turn in the application before the deadline
3. Submit all necessary paperwork, including:
   • Cover letter
   • The FAFSA and/or ISFAA form
   • Letters of recommendation
   • Essay
   • Transcripts
   • Personal statement

How To Get Howard University Scholarships in No Time With DoNotPay

The days of going through hundreds of websites and searching for information about scholarships have passed. DoNotPay allows you to complete the whole process in a few moments and gives you access to information about more programs than you could find on your own.

All you need to do is the following:

1. Open your browser to sign up for DoNotPay
2. Search for the Apply for Scholarships feature
3. Answer a few questions from our chatbot

When you provide info about your academic performance and financial standing, the app will generate a list of all available scholarships you can apply for, together with information about award amounts and requirements.

If the list contains no-essay scholarships, you can apply for them directly through our app. You only need to select which ones interest you, and we’ll complete the whole process on your behalf.

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