What Different Types of LGBT Scholarships Are Available for College?
LGBT scholarships are for college students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. LGBTQ+ students may face various financial obstacles. Scholarships for LGBT college students help make a degree more affordable. There are scholarship programs based on financial need that use your FAFSA info. Some awards also look at GPA, LGBT community service and activism.
There are general scholarships for all LGBT students. Other awards may be for your specific major or career. Others focus on a specific gender identity such as:
Transgender scholarships
Gay scholarships
Queer scholarships
Bisexual scholarships
LGBTQI scholarships include queer and intersexed students
Scholarships for LGBTQI+ may include an active ally, minorities, children of LGBT parents as well. Active allies support LGBTQ issues through advocacy. This support may also help break down barriers to equality.
LGBTQ applicants should check with their high school counselor and college for financial aid. Some public and private organizations and donors may have LGBT awards.
Beyond being a key source of financial aid, these programs also promote diversity. Some programs have extra perks too. Mentoring could be beneficial to gain support. You may also work on human rights campaigns that boost awareness for LGBTQI+ students.
For instance, Phoenix Pride High School Scholarship is for LGBTQ or Allies. High school seniors who apply must have a minimum 2.5 GPA, and be an Arizona state resident. The same provider also offers an award for LGBTQ grad and undergraduate students. Selection uses financial need, recommendations and grades.
Make sure to also check the schools you are applying to. Michigan State University offers the Stephen P. Pougnet and Christopher J. Green Endowed Scholarship. It is from the LGBT Resource Center and is open to college juniors and seniors. Academic achievement is one criteria. You must also show contributions to the LGBTQA+ community.
10 LGBTQ Scholarships You Should Apply for in 2021
Get a head start on 2021 with these 10 scholarships for LGBTQ students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or intersex. If you qualify for one of these awards, apply today!
Stantec Equity & Diversity Scholarship
Jonathan Lax Scholarship Fund For Gay Men
Traub Dicker Rainbow Scholarship
The New York Ramblers Scholarship for Student Athletes
Maylon Smith Scholarship Research Award
Adoption STAR Scholarship for LGTBQ+ Prospective Parents
David Womack Memorial Alabama LGBT Scholarship
David Womack Memorial West Virginia LGBT Scholarship
Women in Medicine LGBTQ Leadership Scholarship
David Knapp Scholarship
What Organizations Support LGBTQ Students Through College?
Many nonprofits such as NOGLSTP and PGLAG could help pay for higher education. They advocate diversity for students part of the LGBTQ community and allies as well.
PFLAG stands for Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays. It is the first and largest group for LGBTQ+, their families and allies. They have 400 chapters in the U.S. The Tucson Chapter is one that also awards scholarships.
National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals: NOGLSTP is a professional society. It educates and advocates for LGBTQ students and those that work in STEM. Their Out to Innovate award provides at least two $5,000 scholarships. You also must pursue a STEM teaching field.
Point Foundation is also the nation’s largest scholarship grantor for LGBTQ. Point Scholars must be full time students with leadership, financial need and solid grades. High school seniors, undergraduates and graduate students may apply.
League Foundation began as a grassroots group. They have several national scholarship funds. They offer financial support to LGBTQ+ high school seniors. Their annual awards may also be for students with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
5 Tips to Help You Earn a Scholarship for LGBT
While not everyone qualifies for a LGBT scholarship, these suggestions may help you feel confident about your application. Keep in mind, many scholarship applications open every year on October 11 (Coming Out Day). So, keep track of annual awards you may have missed this time.
1. Until age 24, the FAFSA looks at your parent’s tax info and considers you a dependent. But there is a place on the form where you can indicate you are “homeless”, “at risk of being homeless” and self supporting. So if your parents disowned you when you came out, you may be able to claim independent status.
2. Fill out the FAFSA and submit it on time. That may help you access and qualify for a range of scholarships, work study and grants (like the Pell Grant). Also apply for any scholarships based on ethnicity, academic major or other talents you may have.
3. Disclosing your gender identity or sexual orientation is optional. The answers you give may likely be private and not shared.
4. The “Common Application” has a Gender category but only provides ‘male’ or ‘female’. But some colleges permit you to change your pronoun for campus records. You may have more inclusive identity questions in other materials. For example, Ithaca College allows you to change your name on VoiceThread.
5. Title IX schools receive federal funds. They should follow the statute that protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs. This means they cannot legally prohibit LGBTQ students from applying. On the other side, private foundations may choose not to select LGBTQ for their scholarships.
Acorn Equality Fund scholarships are designed to provide academic financial support for gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered students, allies or the children of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered parents.
Each year, the Acorn scholarship is provided to a student who shows an exceptional commitment to community service and public advocacy on behalf of the LGBT population. Award selection will be based on academic merit in addition to a proven record of activism and participation.
This scholarship is available for LGBT undergraduate students and straight allies who reside in Pacific, Grays Harbor, or Ferry counties in Washington. Selection preference will be given to students with a record of community service, as well as first-generation college-bound students.
This award is open to children who are legal military dependents and between the ages of 8 and 18 at time of nomination. The average nominee has volunteered with service groups for an average of 75 hours yearly and has maintained above-average grades.
This scholarship is available to persons who were incarcerated for one or more years in a state or federal correctional institution in the United States and are enrolled in a certificate or degree-granting program. Students must demonstrate leadership in their community through volunteer work.
This scholarship is open to Vermont undergraduate students who are seeking a degree in a field related to environmental studies. Students must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and must demonstrate financial need and community involvement and/or service.
This scholarship is open to high school seniors who are residents of or attend a high school in Franklin or Chittenden counties in Vermont. Students must seek a degree in business or a related field and must demonstrate academic achievement and community involvement/service.
This scholarship is open to high school seniors who reside or attend high school in selected northern Vermont counties and have overcome a significant challenge or hardship. Applications must have a grade point average of 3.25 or higher and demonstrate community involvement/service.
This scholarship is open to Vermont undergraduate and graduate students who attend a Vermont postsecondary institution to seek a degree in nursing. Applicants must be active members or the children of active members of a union; applicants must also demonstrate financial need and community involvement/service.
This scholarship is open to Vermont undergraduate and graduate students who are seeking a degree in environmental studies; preference is given to students seeking a degree in an aquatic environmental studies field, such as watershed management, water resources education, and/or limnology. Students must demonstrate academic achievement, financial need, and community involvement and/or service.
To be considered for this scholarship, the student must have a demonstrated commitment to the promotion of diversity and inclusion. They must also meet one or more of the following criteria:
Be from a historically underrepresented group;
Be from a low socio-economic background; or
Be a first-generation college student (i.e., neither of your parent(s)/guardian(s) has a bachelor’s degree.
The student’s academic performance and their record of school and community service will also be considered.
Students will be selected by a committee established by the Office of Multicultural Services.
