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.
While the IanThom Foundation makes grants throughout the year, the vast majority of our funds are distributed at the start of each calendar year. Many referrals come from friends and associates, and we encourage suggestions from our friends and applications from any qualified organizations. A number of arts grants are direct designated by the donors in memory of Thom and so do not go through the grant process.
SMYAL’s scholarships recognize outstanding LGBTQ+ student leaders who have demonstrated personal growth and a commitment to creating change in their school or community while remaining unapologetically themselves.
These scholarships are intended to help offset the cost of continuing education and are awarded directly to recipients entering their first year of post-secondary education, which may include technical or trade school, as well as two- and four-year colleges. Funds are paid directly to the student and may be used for everything from tuition and housing, books and technology, school travel costs, or materials for your program.
There are two scholarship funds, both with the same application process and deadline! All applicants will automatically be considered for both awards.
Founded in 2015, SMYAL’s LGBT Youth Leadership Awards (YLA) provide a total of up to $25,000 to 5-8 student leaders each year. YLA winners receive up to $5,000 each for their extraordinary leadership and impact in their communities. Learn more about past YLA winners here.
Named in honor of Sophie Magerl, Sophie’s Live Out Loud Award (LOLA) will provide a $5,000 scholarship for one student leader who embodies Sophie’s values of self-expression, creative arts, empowerment, resilience, and dedication to community. Sophie was an inspiring 17-year-old who lived out loud and fought for others to be able to express themselves freely.
My Sister’s Keeper (MSK) is a collaborative initiative that is designed to help support the continued success of Black women at MIT.
MSK was created to bring together Black women across MIT campus (grad and undergrad, staff, post-docs, and faculty) to create a supportive, enduring, and inspiring community. It is a unique organization supporting Black women with social, mentoring, and informal relationships.
It includes transgender women, cisgender women, and non-binary women.
This scholarship is available for third-year and fourth-year U.S. law students who demonstrate the intent to practice law and promote the rights of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. Students need not be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered themselves to apply.
This award is available for U.S. and international high school seniors who self-identify as a gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender person, or as a supporter of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people. Applicants must have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher and must reside in or attend college in Colorado.
This scholarship is available for graduating high school seniors in Largo, Florida who are active in community service. Applicants must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, unmet financial need, and must demonstrate a potential for leadership.
This award is available for U.S. undergraduate students who are residents of: Wayne, Cabell, Mercer, Mingo, McDowell, Raleigh, Fayette, Summers, Greenbrier, Boone, Nicholas, Kanawha, Putnam, and Wyoming counties in West Virginia and demonstrate outstanding community service. Students must be pursuing education or training in the field of business or related fields, have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher and an ACT score of 20 or higher, and attend a college or university in West Virginia.
This award is for a U.S. high school senior from Nicholas County High School in West Virginia who is planning to attend college in West Virginia. The applicant must have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher and an ACT score of 20 or higher. Click here to learn more and apply today!
This award is available to U.S. college juniors, seniors, and graduate students who are studying journalism, marketing/communications, or healthcare administration. Students must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and demonstrated community service and leadership.
U.S. graduating high school seniors with a documented learning disability who demonstrate financial need are eligible for this award. The student must plan to enroll in a two-year community college, a vocational or technical training program, or a specialized program for students with learning disabilities.
