West Virginia Black Heritage / Kelly Miller Scholarship Now Open for 2026 Graduates

Graduating seniors across West Virginia have an opportunity to receive financial support for college or career training through the West Virginia Black Heritage / Kelly Miller Scholarship, administered by Your Community Foundation of North Central West Virginia (YCF).

Established in 2025, the scholarship celebrates West Virginia Black heritage and honors Kelly Miller, a nationally recognized African American educator, writer, and public intellectual whose influence on Black America spanned nearly half a century. Before school desegregation, Clarksburg’s Black high school was named in Miller’s honor. That building now serves as a community center operated by the West Virginia Black Heritage Festival.

The scholarship provides two one-time awards of $1,000 to high school seniors of African American descent who reside in West Virginia. Applicants must plan to pursue post-secondary education at a four-year college, community college, or vocational or technical program and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Preference is given to students who demonstrate financial need.

Applications for the scholarship are due by March 2, 2026. Students who receive the award are not eligible to reapply in future years.

Full details about eligibility, application requirements, and additional scholarships administered by the foundation can be found on Your Community Foundation’s website, where a fact sheet outlining the background of the scholarship is also available.