Herbert Lehman Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund

The application period for the 2024-2025 Herbert Lehman Scholarship is now open. Applications for undergraduate scholarships must be completed by April 1, 2025. Applications for law school students must be completed by May 1, 2025.

The Herbert Lehman Education Fund is a national, highly competitive scholarship that makes annual awards to qualified, outstanding undergraduate and law school students. The scholarship, established in 1964, is named after the former Governor and United States Senator from New York in recognition of his integrity, courage, and persistence on behalf of numerous civil rights causes.

Herbert Lehman Scholarships were initially awarded to help Black students attend formerly segregated four-year colleges and universities in the South and to increase the number of Black Americans in the legal profession.

Today, the mission of the Herbert Lehman Education Fund is to help transform the promise of racial equality into a social, economic, and political reality by supporting talented undergraduate students with financial need to stay in school and successfully complete their bachelor’s degree.

Herbert Lehman Scholarships are open to undergraduate students who meet the eligibility and award criteria. Awards generally do not exceed four years. 

The Herbert Lehman Education Fund also offers a limited number of law school scholarships to students committed to pursuing careers in public interest law. Awards generally do not exceed three years. 

Students who are interested in applying for scholarships from the Herbert Lehman Education Fund are strongly encouraged to review the eligibility criteria and program description before applying.

Eligibility

• U.S. Citizenship;
• Must be a graduating high school senior, a first-year student in an accredited four-year college, or a student transferring into an accredited four-year college. Students beginning as a 
  junior are not eligible;
• Demonstrated financial need - must have a combined family income of $70,000 or less;
• Record of academic achievement; and
• Demonstrated commitment to public service.