5 Strong Scholarship — Houston
Offered by 5 Strong Scholarship Foundation
About this scholarship
The 5 Strong Scholarship — Houston helps Houston-area high school seniors attend partner Historically Black Colleges and Universities with tuition support and a long-term success program. Scholars join a small peer cohort, complete mandatory bimonthly College Ready Prep sessions before enrollment, visit partner campuses, and receive coaching from matriculation through graduation. Qualifying college matches can provide full tuition, but published partner thresholds and award amounts differ; some options are fixed-dollar awards and specialized programs may include housing. The record is therefore classified as partial funding with no single invented dollar value. Applicants must reside in metropolitan Houston, be current-year graduating seniors, have at least a 3.0 GPA, and demonstrate leadership potential. The general testing benchmark is a 19 ACT or 990 combined SAT, while individual partners set their own GPA and testing rules. Candidates must be interested in one or more listed partner HBCUs and commit to the preparation sessions, college visit, communications, and required campus activities. The 2027 application is available through the linked form and closes December 31, 2026. Selection focuses on resilience, readiness, leadership, sustained engagement, and willingness to contribute to the scholar cohort.
Eligibility
- Reside in the Houston metropolitan area
- Be a current-year graduating high school senior
- Have a GPA of at least 3.0, subject to the selected partner’s higher threshold
- Meet the selected partner’s testing rule; the general benchmark is 19 ACT or 990 SAT
- Demonstrate potential to lead in the classroom and on campus
- Plan to attend at least one listed 5 Strong Houston partner HBCU
- Attend every mandatory bimonthly College Ready Prep session in Houston
- Complete the college visit and required scholar-program activities