New Black Wall Streets Griot
Education, Schools & HBCUs
Our history of learning. Your next step forward.
Education connects what we inherit with what we can build. Explore the history of historically Black colleges and universities, follow the work they do today, and gather the details you need for your own next step.
Whether you are planning your first college application, returning to school, or helping someone you love, start with one useful question: What do I want to learn, and what will help me get there?
Written by Renee Neal
Published by Renee Neal · NBWSAA
Research and editorial assistance: CJ · Cherished Joy
HBCUs in the Record
Read the featured research and meet a piece of HBCU history.
Explore the researchColleges & Scholarships
Follow official sources to schools and scholarship opportunities.
Find your starting pointCompare Your Choices
Put programs, costs, deadlines, and support side by side.
Build your comparisonHBCUs and the Future They Continue to Build
Historically Black colleges and universities have long helped students build knowledge, community, and opportunity. UNCF’s August 14, 2026 announcement of HBCUs Still Punching Above Their Weight highlights enrollment, graduation, and STEM contributions across 101 HBCUs. UNCF says the report uses 2022–23 academic-year data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
The publication date and the data period answer different questions: when the research was released, and when the activity it measures took place. These findings belong to UNCF’s research; they do not describe NBWSAA programs or establish an institutional partnership.
The Griot will follow HBCU research, campus achievements, and the experiences of students and alumni with direct sources and clear dates. We welcome stories about how education and local enterprise can connect, while being precise about which opportunities are available today.
Read UNCF’s dated report announcement.
Illustration note: The approved banner is an AI-created conceptual scene. It does not depict a named campus or actual students.
A History of Learning and Opportunity
Cheyney University traces its founding to February 25, 1837, as the nation’s first HBCU. Its history describes an early mission to educate people of African descent and prepare teachers, followed by training in trades and agriculture.
HBCUs have different beginnings, academic offerings, and campus traditions. Their histories give us a starting point for understanding each institution; their current catalogs and admissions offices help us understand what they offer today.
Begin with Cheyney’s own history, then follow the official records of a school that interests you.
Find a College. Make a Scholarship Plan.
Start with the school and the program
The UNCF member-college list links to its member institutions. It is a starting point, rather than a complete list of every HBCU. Follow each college’s official website to check programs, accreditation, admissions requirements, campus services, and costs.
Write down the program you want and your intended entry term. If you are transferring or returning to school, ask which of your earlier credits may count and request the school’s evaluation process before estimating your time to graduation.
Turn a scholarship search into next steps
Explore UNCF’s scholarship resources. Each opportunity has its own eligibility, application requirements, and deadline. A listing does not guarantee eligibility or funding.
- Read the award’s official requirements and decide whether they match your circumstances.
- Record its deadline, required documents, and the official application link.
- Plan time for essays, transcripts, or recommendations required by that award.
- Submit through the official application route and keep your confirmation and follow-up instructions.
Read the aid offer carefully
Compare the full estimated cost of attendance with the aid actually offered. Keep grants and scholarships, loans, and work-study in separate lines. Loans are borrowed money; work-study requires qualifying for and working in a job, so it is not guaranteed cash available at enrollment.
Use Federal Student Aid’s guide to evaluating aid offers, and ask the school’s financial-aid office about unclear terms and current requirements.
Build a College Comparison Sheet
Choose two schools to begin. Copy these questions into your own notebook or document, and fill them from each school’s official records. Leave anything unconfirmed marked “Ask.”
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see both school columns.
| What to record | School A | School B |
|---|---|---|
| School, program, entry term, and academic year | Record here | Record here |
| Program requirements, accreditation, and expected time to completion | Record here | Record here |
| Application, aid, housing, and deposit deadlines | Record here | Record here |
| Tuition, fees, housing, food, travel, books, and supplies | Record here | Record here |
| Grants and scholarships offered; renewal requirements | Record here | Record here |
| Loans offered; repayment terms to check | Record here | Record here |
| Work-study offered; job availability to check | Record here | Record here |
| Costs remaining after grants and scholarships; payment timing | Record here | Record here |
| Advising, tutoring, disability services, career support, and graduation outcomes | Record here | Record here |
| Official source, contact, date checked, question, and next action | Record here | Record here |
Choose a school and find its official program page. Save the link, write down one question, and locate the office that can answer it.
Resource descriptions checked October 7, 2026. Verify current services, eligibility, award terms, availability, costs, and deadlines directly with the organization or school. This page provides educational resources; it does not offer admission or funding.
Written by Renee Neal
Published by Renee Neal · NBWSAA
Research and editorial assistance: CJ · Cherished Joy