Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation Scholarship: Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation Scholarship, in partnership with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), is dedicated to championing equity and empowering underserved communities by providing financial assistance to talented students. This scholarship program aims to make the dream of a better life a reality for aspiring scholars, particularly within African American communities disproportionately impacted by the lack of resources needed to access and complete college.

Overview of the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation

Established in 2001, the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation is committed to making a difference across its core areas of focus: supporting cancer care and prevention, protecting the environment, fostering advocacy & access, and strengthening community resilience. The Foundation hopes to deliver meaningful change in its communities through its nonprofit partnerships, investments, and volunteering programs.

Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing, and distribution of premium lifestyle products. For over 50 years, it has sought to inspire the dream of a better life through authenticity and timeless style.

Partnership with UNCF

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation partners with UNCF, the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization, to administer the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation Scholarship Program. UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20% of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country.

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation is expanding its partnership with UNCF and increasing its investment to provide more scholarships for African American students, recognizing that African American communities remain disproportionately impacted by the lack of resources needed to go to and through college.

Scholarship Details

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation Scholarship is open to Black/African American college juniors with at least a 2.75 GPA. The scholarship amount is $3,666.66.

Eligibility Requirements:

Must be a Black/African American college junior
Must have at least a 2.75 GPA
Must be enrolled full-time at a listed HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
Must be a U.S. citizen or citizen of another country designated as an international student
Participation in community service
Demonstrate financial need

Participating HBCUs:

In addition to Morehouse College and Spelman College, Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation scholarship grants will benefit eligible students at 10 HBCUs over a five-year period. These HBCUs include:

Bennett College
Cheyney University
Florida A&M University
Norfolk State University
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
North Carolina Central University
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Application Period:

The scholarship application opens on June 16, 2025, and closes on November 26, 2025.

How to Apply

Interested students should apply through the UNCF website during the application period. The application typically requires:

A completed online application form
Official academic transcripts
A personal essay demonstrating their passion, goals, and financial need
Letters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, or community leaders

Impact on HBCUs and Students

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation scholarship grants will benefit eligible students at 10 HBCUs over a five-year period. These institutions often have disciplines and curricula that foster careers in the retail industry.

Read also: Self-Reliance in Education

“Morehouse has a common cause with partners like the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation who believe that equity begins with education,” said David A. Thomas, Ph.D., Morehouse College president. “This new scholarship will allow high-achieving students in need of financial support to graduate with less debt, ready to step into their careers,” said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman College.

By providing financial support, the scholarship enables high-achieving students in need to graduate with less debt, allowing them to step into their careers ready to make a difference.

About Morehouse College

Morehouse College is the largest men’s college in the United States and the only college with a mission to educate Black men. institutions that produced the most Fulbright Scholars in 2019-2020. Morehouse has the top-rated core curriculum of any HBCU nationwide, according to the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, and Academic Influence named Morehouse one of the two most influential HBCUs of the 21st century. News and World Report, which also ranked the College among the top 20 liberal arts colleges nationally in terms of social mobility and the top 50 nationally in terms of innovation. Morehouse is the #1 producer of Black male graduates in Georgia in biology, business, engineering, English, foreign languages, history, mathematics, performing arts, philosophy, physical sciences, religion, and visual arts, according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education. As the epicenter for thought leadership on civil rights, Morehouse is committed to helping the nation address the inequities caused by institutional racism, which has created social and economic disparities for people of African descent. Prominent Morehouse alumni include: Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Dr. Surgeon General; Shelton "Spike" Lee, Academy Award-winning American filmmaker; Maynard H. Secretary of Homeland Security; Louis W. senator from Georgia.

About Spelman College

Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Spelman is the country's leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). News & World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 54 among all liberal arts colleges, No. 24 for undergraduate teaching, No. 4 for social mobility among liberal arts colleges and No. 1 for the 15th year among historically Black colleges and universities. The Wall Street Journal ranked the College No. 3, nationally, in terms of student satisfaction. Recent initiatives include a designation by the Department of Defense as a Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM, a Gender and Sexuality Studies Institute, the first endowed queer studies chair at an HBCU and a program to increase the number of Black women Ph.D.s in economics.

Ralph Lauren's Commitment to Equity

Ralph Lauren is dedicated to supporting Black communities through various initiatives. In addition to the scholarship program, the Company launched the Ralph Lauren Pin of Solidarity to consumers in North America. Created by Ralph Lauren’s Black Advisory Council, the pin is intended to be a tangible, timeless symbol of allyship with Black, African and African American communities. One hundred percent of the profits from the sale of each pin will be contributed to the Company’s separate UNCF Ralph Lauren Scholarship Program.

“Students represent the best of the human spirit - passion, curiosity and boundless dreams,” said Ralph Lauren, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation. “The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation works to make the dream of a better life a reality by championing equity and investing in historically underserved communities,” said Roseann Lynch, Ralph Lauren Corporation’s Chief People Officer and Head of the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation.

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

Besides the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation Scholarship, several other scholarship opportunities are available for undergraduate students:

O’Connor, Parsons, Lane & Noble Undergraduate Scholarship: This scholarship offers $1,500 to current undergraduate students who submit an essay on a given prompt related to medical malpractice. The closing date is August 15, 2025.
Varsity Tutors College Scholarship Contest: Legal residents of the U.S. and D.C., aged 16 or older, can apply for this $200 scholarship by participating in a contest. The closing date is August 15, 2025.
Alabama Board of Nursing Scholarship Program: Applicants with an active Alabama RN license can receive up to $10,000. The closing date is August 17, 2025.
Miller Lite Brewed to be Bright Scholarships: Undergraduate students attending a HACU-member institution in select markets can apply for a $5,000 scholarship. The closing date is August 17, 2025.
Innovation in Education Scholarship: High school or college students in the U.S. or Canada with at least a 3.0 GPA can apply for this $500 scholarship. The closing date is August 20, 2025.
Target Scholars Program: HBCU juniors studying business or engineering with at least a 2.75 GPA can apply for a scholarship of up to $5,000. The closing date is August 21, 2025.

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