Minority Grants
Minority Grants
In almost all societies, most members share socially relevant characteristics and are the majority that rule. One or several small minorities will inevitably make up the balance – by definition these people do not have the same political influence, and are, generally speaking, worse off in many other ways.
Examples of minorities include:
* Minority race groups
* Minority nationalities
* Minority language groups
* Physically disadvantaged people
* Cognitively disadvantaged people
In America, where well-established programs are already in place to assist cognitively and physically disadvantaged people, the majority of grant dollars are spent on uplifting minority race groups, who bear the burden of self-perpetuating prejudice.
The Difference between a Grant, as opposed to a Loan or Scholarship
A loan must be paid back in terms of an agreed re-payment program, with or without interest. A scholarship is similar, except that it is intended to help with study costs, and is usually paid directly to the education institute. By contrast, a grant, although also intended for a particular purpose is a gift from a giver to a receiver, and by definition never has to be repaid.
While the criteria for approving a loan or scholarship include the assessed likelihood of repayment, the rules for a grant focus on the intention and the financial status of the applicant. It follows, therefore that a grant applicant with an alternate source of funding, or a vacuous purpose, is highly unlikely to receive a grant.
What Minority Grants are Available?
Both the government and private foundations offer grants aimed at correcting inadequacies in the racial distribution found in the spheres of study, employment, research, business and so on. All of these have rules for eligibility built around an applicant’s financial status – for this reason, applicants should check themselves against those criteria before applying.
These are the most common grants available in America:
* African-American Grants
The most significant of these are:
o United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
o Mordecai Wyatt Johnson Program
o The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
o Frederick Douglass Scholars Program
o The National Black Nurses Association
o The March of Dimes Nursing Scholarship Program, and
o The American Psychological Association’s Minority Fellowship Program
Of these, the UNCF, which funds three African-American Colleges, is the most significant African-American education grant. Although it was established in 1942, it really only gained momentum in 1972 when the truths behind a mind is a terrible thing to waste became more evident.
* Asian Minority Grants
Asians are among the fastest growing American minority groups, as are the opportunities offered to them. The Luisa Mallari Fellowship is particularly significant, because it funds study outside the United States as well. Other opportunities for Asian Americans include:
* The Association for Asian Studies, Incorporated
* The Asian American Journalists Association
* The Southeast Asian Studies Regional Exchange Program
* The Asian American Federation of New York
Although Hispanic Minority Grants have traditionally received less government attention, there are moves afoot to address the situation, with scores of millions of dollars being poured into Hispanic educational institutions, and significant progress being made with enlarged enrolments in terms of the following programs:
* The March of Dimes Nursing Scholarship Program
* Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students Program
* The Hispanic Scholarship Fund Institute
* The Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program
* The Silicon Valley Scholarship
* Jose Marti Challenge Grant, and
* The Hispanic Nurses Association Grants and Scholarships
* Native American Minority Grants
Criteria for acceptance under one of the following schemes include a Certificate of Indian Blood and Membership of an Indian Tribe, and exceptions are not generally made to this condition:
* Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants
* Indian Adult Education Grants
* Special Diabetes Program for Indians
* Minority Science and Engineering Improvement
* U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: 2008 Tribal Wildlife Grants
* Grants for Physically and Cognitively Disabled Persons
Opportunities include the Harry Truman Scholarship Program, Rehabilitation Training (Continuing Education), Tech-Prep Education, Training Interpreters for Individuals who are Deaf, and Individuals who are both Deaf and Blind, as well as various Special Education Preschool Grants
How to Apply for a Minority Grant
The first step is to visit the website mentioned below, identify the appropriate program for yourself, and then understand the approval criteria. If you appear to qualify, then you should apply for the grant concerned – the appropriate State or Civic authority could assist you to complete the process in the event that you experience difficulty.
http://www.usagovernmentgrants.org/grants_for_minorities.html
If you are a member of a minority group and qualify for a grant, why don’t you apply for that grant today? The American nation and the American government would like to help you to advance yourself.
