Greater Cincinnati African American Scholarship Fund

The Greater Cincinnati African American Scholarship Fund (GCAASF), administered by the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, offers targeted scholarship support to high school seniors of the Greater Cincinnati area. Founded in 2002 through a collaborative effort between GE Aerospace’s African Affinity Forum Employee Resource Group and local business partners, the fund aims to reduce barriers to higher education for African American students in the region. Between 2002 and 2014, the GCAASF provided scholarships to over 230 students attending 83 different universities. Following a hiatus, GE Aerospace relaunched the scholarship program in 2021, demonstrating a renewed commitment to supporting local talent by awarding $250,000 in scholarships to 32 students over four academic years. The scholarship program seeks to empower students who are embarking on their first year of college by providing financial support that can be applied toward associate or bachelor’s degree programs at accredited institutions. Applicants must be graduating high school seniors from the Greater Cincinnati area, maintain an unweighted GPA of at least 2.8 on a 4.0 scale, and be enrolled full-time in a 2–5-year college or university program for the 2026–2027 academic year. Up to ten scholarships will be awarded, with individual awards ranging from $2,000 to $10,000. Funding is intended to help cover general education costs, and while the fund does not list detailed allowable uses or cost restrictions, the primary aim is to ease the financial burden of tuition and related college expenses. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement noted. All application submissions are treated confidentially, and the selection process is managed by the Scholarship Committee under the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. The application window for the 2026–2027 academic year opened on December 3, 2025, and closed on February 6, 2026. Applicants were required to complete and submit their applications through the online form by the deadline. No pre-application steps or letters of intent were required. The fund does not specify application components or evaluation rubrics, but it is implied that academic achievement and alignment with the program’s mission guided the selection process. Interested applicants or their representatives with questions about the scholarship can contact GCAASF at [email protected]. The fund emphasizes the confidentiality of submissions and takes a community-driven approach in uplifting African American youth. Although the current application period has ended, the fund has been issued on a recurring basis since its 2021 relaunch, suggesting that future application opportunities are likely to open again in December 2026 for the following academic year.

Applicants should articulate their aspirations and potential community impact, reflecting the fund’s emphasis on meaningful contributions.