How Do Students Apply for a Korean American Scholarship?
If you are a qualified Korean American student, you may be eligible for Korean American scholarships. To apply for a Korean American scholarship, you must meet the criteria set by each provider.
A common first rule is you need to be of Korean heritage. Maybe you have a Korean parent, grandparent, or great grandparent. Or, you were adopted from Korea.
Many providers also look for applicants with a 3.0 GPA and who need financial help to pay for college. To make your application shine, you might need to submit references and an essay as well.
The people of Korea developed a unique artistic sense. Their heritage blends traditional value for humanity, Korean customs and now, modern vibes.
Today’s Korean culture has monochrome paintings, shrines, palaces and literary works. Not to mention, Kpop music from BTS, Kdrama, dance and yes, yummy Korean BBQ.
You don’t necessarily need to speak the Korean language. But you must show proof you are a full time student at an accredited college in the U.S.
If this is part of your family history, many scholarships for Korean college students exist. In fact, a main provider is the nonprofit, Korean American Scholarship Fund, or KASF.
KASF offers scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000. They have different awards for high school students, college and graduate students.
Also, the scholarships they offer go by regions. For instance, the KASF Eastern Region Scholarship is for students who go to a partner school located in this area.
What Colleges Provide Scholarships for Korean Americans?
Many colleges partner with the KASF to offer scholarships to Korean American Students.
Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences is one example. They offer the scholarship stipend through the KASF. It is open to Korean American students who are pursuing a MA in United Nations and Global Studies at Rutgers.
Some of the costs of college go to tuition and fees. But as any student knows, there are books and supplies to buy. Room and board plus meals are additional expenses for college students.
The main benefit of a Korean American scholarship is that it is not a student loan. You don’t have to pay it back, so the money is yours to use for college and expenses.
List of Korean American Scholarships
Check out our list of Korean American scholarships below. We have 90 awards worth $495K.
The Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) is a non-profit, volunteer-managed organization established to help meet the financial needs of Korean-American students seeking higher education.
The Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) – Eastern Regional Chapter (ERC) offers a new scholarship program in honor and recognition of 1.6 million American Veterans who served in the Korean War during the Korean War era (June 25, 1950–January 31, 1955). These men and women answered the call to fight for a country and people they never knew and never met. More than 54,000 Americans died and 103,000 were wounded. To express their gratitude to these Veterans for their sacrifices, KASF-ERC will offer their descendants an opportunity to apply for a scholarship. KASF-ERC scholarship program will recognize outstanding students who have demonstrated outstanding talents and potential for success. Awardees will receive a check of $2,000 scholarships from KASF and be able to attend the KASF-ERC Award Ceremony & Banquet in Washington, D.C.
Central California Pacific Women prepares and empowers Asian and Pacific Island women from the Central Valley to advocate for gender and social justice by supporting and providing leadership and mentoring opportunities in the Central Valley and beyond.
The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational and professional organization. At present, it has more than 1,500 members across the United States and Asia. Since its founding, AAJA has been at the forefront of change in the journalism industry. The Al Young Sports Journalism Scholarship honors its namesake. Al Young is an award-winning journalist who blazed many trails for Asian American sports journalists. He is the nation’s first Asian American sportswriter at a metro daily. He is also the first Asian American to cover the NFL as the New Haven Register beat writer for the New York Giants and Jets.
The AAJA Sports Task Force is pleased to offer a scholarship of up to $2,000 to current college students interested in pursuing sports journalism/media as a career through the Al Young Sports Journalism scholarship.
U.S. and Canadian citizens who will have earned no more than 12 hours towards a Master of Library Science degree by June of the award year are eligible for this award. Students must be members of a principal minority group; attend an ALA-accredited school; and plan to enter the library automation field.
The APF Queen-Nellie Evans Scholarship is a $4,000 award that supports minority students going for a master’s or doctorate degree in an accredited program.
Awarded on the basis of academic excellence, the AEIRF Minorities and Women Education Scholarship offsets the cost of degrees in real estate appraisal or related fields.
The KASF Mountain States Regional Chapter Scholarship is available for Korean-American students who reside in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, or Wyoming. Applicants must be high school seniors, undergraduate students, or graduate students at the time of application.
The mission of the Asian Pacific Fund is to strengthen the Asian and Pacific Islander community in the Bay Area by increasing philanthropy and supporting the organizations that serve their most vulnerable community members. Ten scholarships are given to help undergraduate and graduate students achieve their education goals.
This scholarship is available for Korean-American students who are currently enrolled as a high school junior or senior, as an undergraduate, or as a graduate student. Applicants must reside in one of the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, or Tennessee.
This award is available for Korean students attending or planning to attend college in one of the following western states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, or Washington. Applicants must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, enroll full time, and have unmet financial need.
