Minority fellowships are scholarships or financial aid that are awarded entirely or partially on the basis of the recipient’s minority status. Fellowships are awarded as educational aid or as funding for minorities who wish to pursue internships or research positions. Minority fellowships are designed to provide minorities with opportunities they might not have otherwise had, as well as to increase diversity in the workplace. Minority fellowships may be available to a variety of groups, including African Americans, women, people with disabilities, and others. Some people believe that money for education, research, and other concerns should be awarded based on need and merit, not race, so such fellowships are controversial.
Minority fellowships are divided into two categories: those that fund education and those that fund internships, work, or research. Although these fellowships are sometimes awarded solely on the basis of a person’s minority status, recipients are frequently required to meet certain academic or work performance standards. Minority fellowships are sometimes merit-based, but competition for those fellowships is limited to a specific minority group. Prior to receiving a fellowship, one must apply to and be accepted to a specific school or job, a process that may or may not take one’s minority status into account.
Minority fellowships aim to diversify workplaces and educational institutions while also providing more opportunities to minorities, particularly those who cannot afford to pay for their own education. Minorities can receive educational scholarships to help them get better jobs that have traditionally been dominated by non-minority groups. Minority education fellowships, on the other hand, enable minorities to better themselves through education while also increasing diversity in high-paying jobs. This diversity is important because it allows for subtle shifts in the workplace culture of such jobs, as well as changes in the goals and values of specific professions.
The fairness of awarding fellowships based on one’s gender, skin color, or other innate qualities has sparked much debate. Some argue that non-minority groups may need the money just as much, if not more, than minority groups, and that scholarships should be awarded based on need. Others believe that by awarding money based primarily on race or gender, minority fellowships only serve to increase discrimination. Minority fellowship proponents frequently point out that minorities require fellowships because past oppression by majority groups prevented them from participating in education or obtaining certain jobs.