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.
This award is available for U.S. high school seniors ranked in the top 25 percent of their class who are planning to attend the University of North Florida. Students must demonstrate financial need and a commitment to community service.
This scholarship is available for U.S. students who are incoming freshmen at the University of North Florida. Students must have a grade point average of 3.3 or higher, a demonstrated commitment to community service, and financial need.
Applicants must have a proven record of volunteer or leadership experience either within the LGBTQ community and must have completed at least two years of college or be enrolled in or accepted to a graduate program with a focus on social work, community policy, law, education, or any other relative field addressing social justice issues.
Bucknell University in Pennsylvania offers Dean’s Scholarships of $15,000 per year to prospective students with outstanding academic profiles that highlight a very rigorous curriculum, superior grades and standardized test scores with a commitment to school and civic engagement. Learn more and apply today!
The McKeon Scholarship is available to LGBT students, allies, and the children of LGBT parents who have a permanent residence in the Acorn Equality Fund service area (all counties in Illinois except Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will). Applicants must demonstrate academic achievement, as well as political involvement and advocacy for LGBT issues.
This scholarship is available for high school seniors attending a high school in the U.S. who have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher, financial need, and demonstrated community service. Students must plan to attend one of the 500 participating career colleges.
This award is available for students in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington who are self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), members of LGBT families, or straight-allies who have been strongly supportive of the LGBT community.
Applicants are considered a resident of one of these states if they currently live within that state and have done so for at least three months prior to the application deadline.
This scholarship is available for U.S. undergraduate students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or as a straight ally. Applicants must demonstrate unmet financial need, and must reside in one of the following states: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana or Alaska.
This scholarship is available for students from Washington State who have faced significant barriers to their educational pathways including learning disabilities or lack of familial or financial support to pursue an educational goal. Applicants must identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or as a straight ally dedicated to LGBT equality and advocacy.
This award is available to U.S. citizens who are Washington residents under age 25 and raised by one or more lesbian or gay parents. Applicants must be currently enrolled in a postsecondary program or be planning to enroll during the academic year following the deadline date.
