Johnson C. Smith University Entrance

For Colleges

It’s true: UNCF is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization, helping more than 60,000 students attend college each year.

In 1944, UNCF was founded to help champion Black higher education through joint institutional fundraising, providing new scholarships, fellowships, programs and supports for our 37 member institutions so they can continue to advance their respective missions.

No single group of institutions is more responsible for the economic, social and legal progress of our nation’s Black families than those institutions of higher education serving primarily Black students. The legacy and impact of HBCUs and other Black institutions is all the more remarkable considering the inequities and barriers these institutions themselves confronted.

UNCF’s support comes in many different forms and includes everything from capacity building to faculty development, from scholarships to fellowships, from training to advocacy.

Providing operating support to our 37 member historically black colleges and universities is the core of what we do. Our support helps member schools keep tuition down to a rate that is 26 percent lower than tuition at other comparable schools. We offer grants to help build capacity, faculty development programs and assistance with teacher education programs.​

Member Colleges

Image of caps during Florida Memorial University graduation ceremony

Institute for Capacity Building

To further our partnerships with Black colleges and universities and support their ongoing transformation and improvement, in 2006, UNCF formed the Institute for Capacity Building. Since its founding, UNCF has worked to provide a range of direct supports and technical assistance to 41+ Black colleges and universities.
Group shot of students registering for classes at Bethune Cookman University

Career Pathways Initiative

UNCF, funded by Lilly Endowment, is working with a select group of HBCUs and PBIs to improve their career placement outcomes by increasing the number of college graduates who find meaningful jobs in their chosen fields. Learn more about the transformative nature of the program.
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Faculty Development

UNCF offers professional development programs for professors at member institutions.

UNCF Achievement Capstone Program

Investing in the next generation of African American leadership is the goal of the UNCF Achievement Capstone Program.

Established to mark the 50-year anniversary of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s National Achievement® Scholarship Program, this new faculty-nominated scholarship offers students a one-time financial award ranging from $2,000 to $5,000, which they can use to retire educational costs or pay for future educational expenses.

Learn More