Closed 2026 AAMA Kevin Johnson Presidential Scholarship: $5,000 Award

The 2026 Kevin Johnson Presidential Scholarship was a $5,000 award offered by the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) for eligible students enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The verified host listing is now closed: it set the application deadline at February 1, 2026. This page is therefore a historical reference, not an invitation to submit an application.

The official listing was hosted through Prairie View A&M University’s scholarship portal. That host page identifies AAMA as the organization offering the award and describes five scholarship opportunities for HBCU students: two for undergraduates and three for graduate students. The award supported tuition and academic expenses and connected recipients with the AAMA Scholars Summit during AAMA’s Annual Conference in Washington, DC, on April 9–10, 2026.

There is no verified 2027 deadline on the official listing. Do not treat the 2026 date, the old application materials, or any copied third-party page as an open 2027 opportunity. If AAMA announces another round, its official listing should be checked for the new eligibility rules, materials, and deadline.

2026 Kevin Johnson Presidential Scholarship at a Glance

What the 2026 Award Supported

The official description presented the scholarship as a $5,000 contribution toward tuition and academic expenses. It did not describe the award as a general cash prize with no educational purpose. Students and families reviewing the archived opportunity should understand the amount in that context: the scholarship was intended to support the costs of attending school, including tuition and other academic expenses.

The listing also described benefits beyond the payment itself. Recipients were offered mentorship opportunities with African American mayors and other leaders working in policy, governance, healthcare, and technology. The opportunity included invitations to AAMA events, conferences, and networking opportunities, as well as recognition as a scholar committed to leadership and innovation in policy and governance.

The AAMA Scholars Summit was a central part of the 2026 program description. Recipients were expected to attend the summit during AAMA’s Annual Conference in Washington, DC, on April 9–10, 2026, and the listing stated that travel costs would be covered. That detail matters when evaluating the award’s value: it was structured as both financial support and a connection to a professional organization focused on African American mayors and public leadership.

Who the 2026 Listing Was For

The eligibility requirements were specific. Applicants needed to be full-time students currently enrolled at an accredited HBCU. The listing did not describe the award as open to every student in the United States, to part-time students, or to people who had not yet enrolled. A student’s institution and enrollment status were therefore important threshold questions before considering the rest of the application.

The academic requirement was a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale. The official wording referred to a cumulative grade point average, so a single strong term would not replace the stated overall academic requirement. An archived reader should use the official listing, and the student’s institution, to interpret how transcripts and grading scales would be handled in a future round.

The program focused on political science, public policy, governance, technology, healthcare, and closely related fields. This range covered both traditional public-service study and technical or health-focused work connected to public outcomes. A student in a neighboring discipline would have needed to explain the connection clearly rather than assume that every major qualified automatically.

The listing also called for a strong academic record and a commitment to community engagement. Those words point to the kind of work the program sought to support: education and career plans connected to communities, public institutions, policy decisions, technology, or healthcare. Community engagement could take many forms, but the archived page does not provide a basis for inventing a required number of service hours or a particular type of project.

What the 2026 Application Required

The application materials listed by the official page were a current resume, a two-minute video personal statement, a letter of recommendation from a professor or community leader, and an official academic transcript. The page also described a personal statement about career aspirations and the impact of the applicant’s work on their community and society.

These materials formed a coherent picture of the applicant. The resume would show education, work, leadership, service, and relevant experience. The video statement was meant to describe career goals and interest in public policy, governance, technology, healthcare, or political science. The recommendation letter gave a professor or community leader a chance to describe the student’s character, preparation, or engagement from direct experience. The official transcript documented the academic record and the 3.0 cumulative GPA requirement.

Because the cycle has closed, these are historical requirements rather than a live checklist. A future AAMA announcement could change the video length, recommendation rules, transcript instructions, eligible fields, or any other part of the process. Students should not upload materials to an old form or rely on an archived checklist for a later cycle without an official announcement.

How to Read the Deadline

The 2026 deadline was February 1, 2026. The official host listing displayed that date as the application deadline and instructed applicants to submit by then. That date has passed. It should remain in the metadata because it identifies the cycle documented here, but the page should not present it as a future target.

The timing also explains why the summit information belongs to the 2026 archive. The official listing connected the scholarship to AAMA’s Annual Conference and placed the Scholars Summit in Washington, DC, on April 9–10, 2026. Those dates describe the completed 2026 program schedule. They are not a promise that a later cohort will meet on the same dates or in the same place.

No replacement deadline has been verified for 2027. That absence is meaningful for students planning their funding search. They can monitor AAMA and the official scholarship portal for a new posting, but they should not substitute a guessed date, assume automatic annual renewal, or interpret the presence of the old page as proof that applications are open.

Why the Opportunity Was Distinctive

The award combined several forms of support that do not always appear together in a student scholarship. The $5,000 amount addressed tuition and academic expenses. The mentorship and networking elements connected recipients with mayors and leaders in areas related to policy, governance, healthcare, and technology. The summit placed the award within an event centered on public leadership, and the listing stated that travel costs would be covered.

The structure also made the program relevant to more than one career path. A public policy student could connect the award to government service or policy analysis. A technology student could relate a technical background to civic systems, access, public services, or responsible innovation. A healthcare student could explain how training and community work affect health policy or delivery. The official eligibility language allowed those fields while still requiring a clear relationship to the program’s public-leadership focus.

For HBCU students, the program’s institutional focus was equally important. The opportunity was designed for students already enrolled at accredited HBCUs, not as a broad scholarship open to any postsecondary student. Its five awards were divided between undergraduate and graduate students, giving the 2026 cycle a defined scale and audience rather than an unlimited pool of recipients.

Questions About the Archived Cycle

Is the 2026 scholarship still accepting applications?

No. The official listing gave February 1, 2026 as the deadline, and that cycle is closed. This archive page should not be used to submit an application.

Was the award $5,000 or up to $5,000?

The verified official description states that the scholarship was $5,000 to support tuition and academic expenses. This page uses that wording rather than describing a range that the listing does not establish.

Could graduate students apply?

Yes, the 2026 listing described five AAMA scholarship opportunities for HBCU students, including two undergraduate and three graduate awards. Graduate applicants still had to meet the full-time enrollment, accredited HBCU, GPA, field-of-study, and other stated requirements.

Did recipients have to attend an event?

The official listing said scholarship recipients would attend the AAMA Scholars Summit during AAMA’s Annual Conference in Washington, DC, on April 9–10, 2026. It also said travel costs would be covered. Those statements apply to the 2026 cycle and should not be extended automatically to a future round.

Is a 2027 round open?

No 2027 call or deadline has been verified on the official listing. Wait for an official AAMA announcement or a newly posted official scholarship entry before treating the program as available again.

Official Reference

The authoritative archived listing is the 2026 Kevin Johnson Presidential Scholarship page on Prairie View A&M University’s scholarship portal. It identifies AAMA as the organization offering the scholarship, records the 2026 requirements and benefits, and gives the February 1, 2026 deadline. The verified listing is the only destination retained here.

For planning purposes, this page is best used to understand what the 2026 program offered: a $5,000 award for eligible HBCU students, five opportunities split between undergraduate and graduate awards, a public-leadership orientation, and participation in the AAMA Scholars Summit. Anyone seeking a later cycle should confirm every detail from a new official listing before preparing or submitting materials.