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 awards worth .
This scholarship is offered to Korean-American undergraduate or graduate students who are currently enrolled in college and are residents of the midwestern region of the United States as defined by the Korean American Scholarship Fund. The following states are eligible: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
This award is available for Korean-American students who are residing in or attending school in one of the following states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas.
This scholarship is offered to Korean-American undergraduate or graduate students who are attending college in the northeastern region of the U.S. as defined by the Korean American Scholarship Fund. The following states are eligible: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
This award is available for Korean-American students living in and attending school in Delaware, District of Columbia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or West Virginia. Applicants must demonstrate financial need, have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and plan to enroll full time.
The Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) – Southern Regional Chapter (SRC) is pleased to announce a 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 our gratitude to these veterans for their sacrifices, KASF-SRC will offer their descendants an opportunity to apply for a scholarship. KASF-SRC scholarship program will recognize outstanding students who have demonstrated outstanding talents and potential for success.
The Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) – Northeastern Regional Chapter (NERC) is pleased to announce a 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 our gratitude to these veterans for their sacrifices, KASF-NERC will offer their descendants an opportunity to apply for a scholarship. KASF-NERC scholarship program will recognize outstanding students who have demonstrated outstanding talents and potential for success. Awardees attending in college or graduate school will receive a check of $2,000 scholarships from KASF and be able to attend the Annual Awards Gala to be held in New York City.
KASF scholarships (which range from $500 to $5,000) are offered to the qualified Korean American students (including foreign students from Korea). All applicants must be enrolled in a full time program in the U.S during the scholarship application year. If extra funds are available, other students (non Koreans) may qualify for scholarships. Specifically, descendants of American veterans served during the Korean War may qualify for scholarships (applicable to selective regions).
To apply for KASF scholarships, it is very important to follow the specific requirements and instructions of the region where the applicant’s school is/will be located during the scholarship application year as the type and amount of available scholarships may differ from region to region.
The Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) – Southwestern Regional Chapter (SWRC) is pleased to announce a 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 our gratitude to these veterans for their sacrifices, KASF-SWRC will offer their descendants an opportunity to apply for a scholarship. KASF-SWRC scholarship program will recognize outstanding students who have demonstrated outstanding talents and potential for success.
The Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) – Eastern Regional Chapter (ERC) is pleased to announce a 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 our 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 Vienna, VA.
KASF is organized into seven regions and the scholarship application process is handled separately by each region. Please select the state where the school you will be attending during the scholarship year is located for the proper instructions on submitting your application.
Students may apply for more than one scholarship types; however, they can only be awarded one scholarship type.
