Developed in partnership with UNCF, the Crown Castle Opportunity Scholarship Program will provide need-based scholarships to African American college juniors who exhibit determination, integrity, and perseverance in overcoming adversity. All majors are welcome, with priority consideration given to applicants majoring in accounting, business, computer science, engineering, finance, information technology, political science, and pre-law. 

This scholarship will be awarded in the 2022-2023 academic year and is renewable for up to one (1) year for recipients who continue to meet eligibility requirements. Applicant contact information may be shared with the scholarship Grantor.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Be African American/Black, and a US citizen or permanent resident.
2. Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
3. Be enrolled full-time as a college junior for the 2022-2023 academic year at any accredited 4-year institution, with priority consideration given to applicants attending HBCUs.
4. Have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have a demonstrated unmet financial need, as verified by the applicant’s institution.

Application Requirements

1. An official or unofficial current academic transcript.
2. A 1-page essay (see application for details).
3. One (1) letter of recommendation from a faculty member or administrator.

Letter of Recommendation Instructions

Applicants must log in to their UNCF student account, go to the Application Status page, and select Invite Reference to invite a Reference to submit a recommendation. Applicants must check the Application Status page for recommendation status. Applicants should invite an alternate Reference if the first is unresponsive.

Because the "Invite Reference" feature may be blocked by a Reference's firewall, applicants should immediately email the How to Submit a Letter of Recommendation document to their Reference (the download link is on the right side of this page under “Supporting Documents”).

Additional Scholarship Information

1. UNCF will contact selected finalists' institutions to verify their eligibility. Ineligible applicants cannot be awarded. Applicants who do not meet all listed eligibility and application requirements should not apply.
2. Application materials, including letters of recommendation, will not be accepted via email.
3. Unless specified above, scholarship funds will be disbursed directly to the recipient’s institution.
4. For login, password, or other account issues, please contact 202-810-0258 or scholarships@uncf.org from 9am-5pm EST.
5. Scholarship decisions will be emailed to applicants within 12 weeks of the application deadline.
6. Questions about this scholarship that have not been answered above may be submitted to Brandi Williams at brandi.williams@uncf.org.