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The Ed Dwight Scholarship

Scholarship Details

The Ed Dwight Scholarship is one of many funding opportunities available to students of color through NAACP's Inspire Initiatives. We offer scholarships to outstanding and qualified students pursuing undergraduate degrees. Through the generosity of our donors, we advance efforts to ensure equity in educational opportunities that prepare students for success in school, work, and life.



The Ed Dwight Scholarship honors Ed Dwight, a trailblazer in the American space program, who is also an author and sculptor. Ed was the first Black astronaut candidate; in addition to being the first to enter the program, he completed the training and was fully qualified as an astronaut.

Scholarship amount: $2,500 

This is a non-renewable scholarship opportunity.

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Scholarship Requirements

  • Be a member of the NAACP. If you are not a member of the NAACP, join today.
  • Be a student of color.
  • Be under the age of 25 during the time of application submission.
  • Be currently enrolled full-time or accepted to an accredited college or university in the U.S.
  • Be a graduating high school senior or undergraduate student for applicable scholarships.
  • Possess a grade point average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 system.
  • Demonstrate interest in pursuing a career in Science, Engineering, Aviation, or Aeronautics.
  • Demonstrate financial need.
  • Be a U.S. resident or citizen.

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Scholarship timeline

Scholarship applications open on May 1 and close June 2, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. Recipients will be announced in the Summer of 2024. 

Applications are reviewed and scored by the Scholarship Committee, NAACP leaders who volunteer their time to read applications, review transcripts, and select recipients for approval. If selected, you will be notified through the Inspire scholarship portal. Decisions of the selection committee are final and cannot be appealed.

 

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