Heading to college this fall? The experience can be exciting, confusing and daunting all at once. The last thing the newly matriculated college freshman needs is the overpowering concern of financial matters. College is expensive, even if you have scholarships, loans or stipends available to you. The incidentals add up. It's even worse when you don't have any financial aid or supplementary funding covering some of your educational costs.

That's why the Africana staff came up with a list of available scholarships and ready-to-click-right-now links to the websites affiliated with them. Filling out a few applications could free up your college cash flow a little and save you from having to get on the oodles and noodles college savings plan. Good luck finding one for you! And if you don't, don't despair: check out the United Negro College Fund's Scholarship Search Tool, which features something for just about anybody.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Scholarships
Established in 1999 to provide outstanding African American, American Indian/Alaska Natives, Asian Pacific Islander Americans, and Hispanic American students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education, provides scholarships to selected students in fields of mathematics, science, engineering, education, or library science.

The Ron Brown Scholar Program
Honoring the memory of the late Secretary of Commerce, the Ron Brown Scholar Program awards scholarships to academically talented, highly motivated, African American high school seniors who have demonstrated financial need, social commitment, and leadership potential.

National Association of Black Accountants
Provides support to undergraduate accounting majors from all minority groups, as well as students pursuing graduate degrees in accounting.

National Urban League Scholarships for Minority Students
Under the auspices of the Campaign for African American Achievement, the venerable organization offers scholarships varying from those tied to specific schools to the Gillette NUL Scholarship, which grants $5000 to rising juniors in business-related fields.

Coca Cola First Generation Scholars Program
Not aimed at black students only, this program could certainly benefit those most in need, by providing support for students who are the first in their families to attend college.

Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
To date, the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund has awarded more than $14.2 million in scholarships to students at HBCUs. Scholarships are awarded per semester based on available funding, and they are administered not to the student directly but via the institution to which a student has been accepted.

National Association of Black Journalists Scholarships
Each year, deserving students interested in becoming journalists receive more than $100,000 in NABJ scholarships. NABJ annually awards several $2,500 awards and a $5,000 scholarship to college students and graduating high school students.

The Jackie Robinson Foundation
The organization founded by the man who broke baseball's color line provides four-year scholarships of up to $6,000 for minority high school students to attend the college of their choice.

John L. Henry National Dental Association Foundation/Colgate-Palmolive Scholarship Program
Provides financial support for future black dentists.

National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation
Awards scholarships to aspiring black journalists who have worked in the Black Press (including student newspapers for HBCUs) and have a commitment to serving the African American community through journalism.

Walgreen's Pharmacy Student Scholarship Program
This grant of up to $1,500 per year for up to four years is awarded to students who have worked at Walgreen's for one year or more.

National Black Nurses Association
The NBNA offers seven scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 to students enrolled in any nursing program and who are members of a local NBNA chapter with a year or more of left of schooling.

National Society of Black Engineers
Deadlines for all 2003 NSBE scholarships have passed but keep visiting the organization's website for updates on next year's offers.

Mitsubishi Motors USA/ United Negro College Fund Leadership Award
The car company partners with the UNCF to provide scholarships attending the 39 member colleges and universities.

HBCU Central
The HBCU mega-site has begun awarding money to students attending HBCUs. Last year several $1000 scholarship were awarded; more are promised in coming years. All students at HBCUs may be eligible, but particular emphasis is given to women and underrepresented minorities.

Target All Around Scholarships
This program is not tailored to black students specifically, but it's a large, respected program more minority students ought to check out.

MTV Free Ride Contest
A longshot, but hey: a kid can dream!