Ron Brown Scholarship Program Eligibility

Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for the Ron Brown Scholar Program provided you meet the following requirements:

  • Must be Black/African American.
  • Must excel academically.
  • Must exhibit exceptional leadership potential.
  • Must participate in community service activities.
  • Demonstrate financial need.
  • Be a US citizen or hold a permanent resident visa card.
  • Be a current high school senior at the time of your application.  NOTE: Current college students are not eligible to apply.

Scholarship Application Timeline

Below is the timeline for interested applicants to plan the submission of their application to the Ron Brown Scholar Program (RBSP) as well as key dates when eligible applicants will be notified:

  • September – January 9th:  Interested applicants can begin to complete and submit the RBSP scholarship application.
  • November 1: Early Applicant Deadline: Interested applicants who complete their applications by November 1st will be considered for the Ron Brown Scholar Program and will be eligible to have their contact information forwarded to a select number of additional colleges and scholarship providers.  Applicants are still responsible for submitting materials to any colleges, universities and scholarship programs for which they are interested.
  • January 9th:  Final postmarked deadline in order to be considered for the Ron Brown Scholar Program ONLY.
  • January – March:  Applications are reviewed by the Program staff.
  • Mid-February:  Semi-finalists are notified.
  • Early March:  Finalists are notified and invited to participate in a weekend selection process in Washington, D.C. at the expense of the Ron Brown Scholar Program. Finalists are interviewed by members of the RBSP National Selection Committee and are expected to participate in several activities during the weekend. Scholarship winners are selected on the basis of their application materials, interviews and participation in weekend activities. 
  • April 15: Winners in the competition are notified.