Win Up to $5,000 for HBCU Leadership in Policy and Tech: Kevin Johnson Presidential Scholarship 2026 Guide

There are scholarships that help you pay for school. And then there are scholarships that quietly try to change your whole trajectory.

The Kevin Johnson Presidential Scholarship 2026 from the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) sits firmly in the second category. Yes, the money matters—up to $5,000 toward tuition and academic costs is real relief, especially when books, housing, and “why is this access code $129” fees start piling up. But the bigger prize is access: mentorship from African American mayors and senior leaders, plus a seat at the table in Washington, DC where policy is argued over, shaped, funded, and—sometimes—rescued from bad ideas.

If you’re an HBCU student studying public policy, political science, governance, technology, healthcare, or a related field, this scholarship is basically saying: We see you. We need you. And we’re willing to invest in you. That’s not fluff. That’s a pipeline.

Even better: scholarship recipients attend the AAMA Scholars Summit during AAMA Annual Conference in Washington, DC (April 9–10, 2026)—and travel costs are covered. Translation: you’re not stuck watching highlights on social media while everyone else networks in the hallway outside the ballroom. You’ll be in the room.

Below is a practical, no-nonsense guide to help you apply with confidence—and stand out while you’re at it.

Kevin Johnson Presidential Scholarship 2026 At a Glance

Why This Scholarship Is Worth Your Time (Even If You Are Busy)

You’re busy. You have classes, maybe a job, maybe a student org that somehow turned you into the event planner, therapist, and treasurer all at once. So let’s answer the obvious question: why should you carve out time for this scholarship?

Because this one doesn’t just reward good grades. It rewards direction.

AAMA is signaling that they want students who are headed toward the messy, meaningful work of public leadership—whether that’s city government, health systems, civic tech, policy research, or community-based governance. And they’re offering an unusually valuable combo: money + mentorship + national exposure.

Think of it like this: plenty of scholarships hand you a check and wave goodbye. This one hands you a check and says, “Come meet the people who can open doors you didn’t even know existed.”

And yes—this is a competitive scholarship. Only five awards. But it’s absolutely worth the effort because the upside is bigger than the dollar amount. A well-made application here can pay off in internships, fellowships, graduate opportunities, and long-term professional relationships.

What This Opportunity Offers (The Benefits That Actually Matter)

Start with the obvious: up to $5,000 to support tuition and academic expenses. That can cover a semester of books and fees, knock down a tuition balance, fund a certification, or keep you from taking on another chunk of loans. It’s flexible enough to be useful without forcing you into a million tiny restrictions.

Now the part people underestimate: mentorship opportunities with African American mayors and leaders across policy, governance, healthcare, and technology. Mentorship here isn’t motivational quotes and a monthly “quick check-in.” At its best, this kind of mentorship becomes: introductions, internships, references, real advice about political realities, and feedback on your next move from people who’ve actually had to make decisions under pressure.

You’ll also get invitations to AAMA events and networking opportunities—which is professional oxygen if you’re trying to build a career in public service or civic innovation. Many students don’t struggle because they lack talent; they struggle because they lack proximity. This scholarship helps fix that.

And then there’s the visibility: recognition as an AAMA scholar committed to leadership and innovation in governance. That line on a resume signals seriousness. It says you were selected by an organization that knows what leadership looks like up close—because they literally run cities.

Finally, the scholarship includes attendance at the AAMA Scholars Summit during the Annual Conference in Washington, DC (April 9–10, 2026) with travel costs covered. That’s not a minor perk; that’s the difference between “I wish I could go” and “I’m on the flight.”

Who Should Apply (And Who Will Be Most Competitive)

Eligibility is straightforward on paper: you must be a full-time student at an accredited HBCU, hold a 3.0 GPA or higher, and be pursuing a major in political science, public policy, governance, technology, healthcare, or a closely related field.

But competitiveness is about more than meeting requirements. The strongest applicants tend to look like they’re already practicing leadership—even if they don’t call it that.

If you’re an undergraduate, you might be competitive if you’ve done work like organizing voter registration drives, serving in student government, interning with a city council office, researching health equity, building a simple app to solve a campus problem, or leading a community project that has measurable impact (even small-scale impact counts, if it’s real).

If you’re a graduate student, think about how you’re positioning yourself as a specialist who can translate expertise into outcomes: policy analysis, data-informed governance, public health interventions, civic tech implementation, program evaluation, community-based participatory research—anything that shows you can connect people, systems, and results.

This scholarship explicitly values community engagement. That doesn’t mean you must have started a nonprofit at 19. It means your work isn’t purely theoretical. It touches real people, real needs, real consequences.

Most importantly, you should apply if you can answer this question clearly: What do you want to change, and why are you the person to work on it? Your application—especially your personal statement/video—should make that impossible to miss.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application (Especially the 2-Minute Video)

AAMA requires a 2-minute video personal statement. Two minutes is short enough to be terrifying and long enough to expose rambling. Here’s how to make it work in your favor.

1) Treat the video like a campaign ad, not a class presentation

Not “Hello, my name is…” for 30 seconds. Get to your purpose fast. A strong opening sounds like: the problem you care about, who it affects, and why you’re committed to it.

2) Use a simple structure: Past → Present → Future

In two minutes, clarity beats complexity. A reliable format:

• Past: What shaped your interest (a community experience, course, internship, family story, research finding).
• Present: What you’re doing now (major, project, leadership role, work).
• Future: Where you’re going (career goal) and what impact you intend to make.

3) Name a specific community or issue (vague = forgettable)

“Helping people” is sweet, but it’s cotton candy. Try instead: maternal health outcomes in Black communities, broadband access in rural counties, public transit equity, violence prevention, ethical AI in city services, Medicaid policy, heat resilience, housing insecurity.

4) Show receipts for community engagement

Drop one concrete example with a measurable detail:

• “We enrolled 120 students in a health screening event.”
• “I helped write a policy memo on food access programs.”
• “Our team built a prototype and tested it with 30 users.”

Specifics make you sound like someone who finishes things.

5) Let your recommendation letter do one job: credibility

Choose a recommender who can speak to impact and character, not just “They got an A.” A professor who saw your research grit, or a community leader who watched you follow through, is gold.

6) Make your resume tell the same story as your video

If your video says you want to work in civic tech, but your resume shows zero tech-related work, that mismatch raises questions. You don’t need perfection—just alignment.

7) Polish the basics because this is a leadership scholarship

Good lighting. Clean audio. Simple background. Eye contact. One take is fine, but practice until you can deliver without sounding like you’re reading a hostage note.

This is a scholarship for future leaders. Your application should feel like leadership: organized, intentional, and calm under pressure.

Application Timeline (Working Backward From February 1, 2026)

If you want your application to feel confident instead of rushed, build a timeline that gives you space for revisions.

Aim to finish your materials 7–10 days before February 1. Not because you love being early, but because tech issues are undefeated.

Mid-January (2–3 weeks out): Confirm your recommender and give them what they need: your resume, a short paragraph about the scholarship, and bullet points of what you’d like them to highlight. People write better letters when you make it easy.

Early to mid-January: Draft your video script (yes, script it), rehearse it out loud, and record at least two versions. Watch them back and choose the one that feels natural and sharp.

Late December to early January: Request your official transcript. Some schools process fast; some take their time. Don’t gamble.

December: Update your resume with leadership, internships, community projects, research, and presentations. Tighten it to one page if you can, two pages if you must (graduate students sometimes need the extra room).

This schedule isn’t intense. It’s just realistic.

Required Materials (And How to Prepare Each One)

You’ll submit a small set of materials, but each one pulls weight. Prepare them like you mean it.

• Current resume: Emphasize leadership, community engagement, research, relevant coursework, and any policy/tech/health experience. Use strong action verbs and quantify results where possible.
• 2-minute video personal statement: Plan it. Practice it. Keep it focused on career goals and why your interests connect to policy, governance, technology, healthcare, or political science.
• Letter of recommendation: Ask early. Choose someone who can describe your reliability, initiative, and impact. A letter that says “They are kind and hardworking” is nice. A letter that says “They took ownership and delivered outcomes” wins.
• Official academic transcript: Order it early and confirm it’s the correct official format required by your institution.

What Makes an Application Stand Out (How Reviewers Likely Think)

AAMA’s mission is leadership in practice, so your application should answer the reviewer’s quiet questions:

They want to know if you have academic readiness (the GPA threshold is a baseline), but more importantly, whether you have leadership trajectory. Do you seem like someone who will show up, contribute, and grow?

They also look for clarity of purpose. A student who says “I’m interested in policy” is common. A student who can explain which policy problems they’re committed to and why is rare.

Finally, they’ll pay attention to community engagement. Not performative engagement. Real engagement: sustained involvement, learning from communities, and building solutions with people rather than “for” people.

If your application communicates competence, purpose, and integrity, you’re in the right zone.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (And How to Fix Them)

Mistake 1: Treating the video like a biography.
Fix it by making it a mission statement. Lead with what you care about and where you’re headed, then support it with one or two experiences.

Mistake 2: Submitting a generic resume.
Fix it by tailoring. If you’re in healthcare, highlight health equity work, clinics, research, outreach. If you’re in tech, show projects, tools, data work, or product thinking.

Mistake 3: Using jargon to sound smart.
Fix it by speaking plainly. The goal is to be understood and remembered, not to sound like a textbook.

Mistake 4: Weak recommendation choice.
Fix it by choosing someone who knows your work habits and impact. A big-name person who barely knows you is usually worse than a direct supervisor who’s watched you lead.

Mistake 5: Waiting until the last minute for transcripts and uploads.
Fix it with a simple rule: finish a week early. You’ll thank yourself when the portal acts weird at 11:48 p.m.

Mistake 6: Not connecting your goals to AAMA’s world.
Fix it by naming your interest in governance outcomes—city systems, health access, tech in government, community-centered policy. Show you understand the ecosystem you’re applying into.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the scholarship only for HBCU students?

Yes. You must be a full-time student currently enrolled at an accredited HBCU.

Can both undergraduates and graduate students apply?

Yes. AAMA plans to award two undergraduate and three graduate scholarships.

What GPA do I need?

You need a cumulative 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

What majors qualify?

The scholarship targets students in political science, public policy, governance, technology, healthcare, or closely related fields. If your major is adjacent (for example, public administration, data science, sociology with policy focus), your video and resume should make the connection obvious.

Do I have to attend the conference in Washington, DC?

If selected, attendance at the AAMA Scholars Summit during the Annual Conference is part of the opportunity. The good news: travel costs are covered, which removes the biggest barrier for most students.

What should I talk about in the 2-minute video?

Your career goals, why you care about public policy/governance/tech/healthcare, and what impact you want to make. One concrete example of community engagement or leadership will strengthen it immediately.

Who should write my recommendation letter?

A professor or community leader who can speak to your academic strength, leadership, and service mindset. Choose someone who knows you well enough to provide specifics.

Can I apply if my work is more tech-focused than politics-focused?

Yes. AAMA explicitly includes technology and innovation. Just connect your tech interests to public outcomes—access, equity, service delivery, transparency, health systems, education systems, infrastructure, and so on.

How to Apply (Next Steps You Can Do This Week)

Start by blocking off two short work sessions: one to assemble documents, one to record your video. This application isn’t long, but it rewards applicants who look prepared rather than hurried.

1. Update your resume so it clearly points toward leadership in policy, governance, technology, or healthcare.
2. Write a tight video outline (aim for 250–300 words max for two minutes), rehearse it, and record in a quiet place with clean lighting.
3. Request your official transcript early so you’re not stuck waiting.
4. Ask your recommender with at least two weeks of notice, and send them your resume plus a paragraph on your goals.

When you’re ready, submit through the official form.

Apply Now

Ready to apply? Visit the official opportunity page here: https://us.openforms.com/Form/3cedcc72-e7b3-48c2-b026-1bdbe2b0be17