#FinancialFebruary: LGBTQ Scholarships
by Alyssa Sileo
Editor’s Note: Financial February is sponsored by our partners at State Farm.
College is a huge, huge investment. Luckily there are some scholarships out there that can defray the cost. Today I want to share with you five scholarships that are available for LGBTQ+ students.
The Dru Project’s Spirit of Drew Scholarship
This incredible organization, created to honor Drew Leinonen, a young advocate and victim of the 2016 Pulse shooting, fights for queer and trans youth by funding GSAs in Florida schools. They’re dedicated to supporting students as they pursue their educational goals.
Available to LGBTQ+ students from: the USA
Just seniors in high school, or beyond?: available to any LGBTQ+ student currently pursuing higher education — so high school seniors going into college as well graduate and doctoral students are eligible.
Amount: One time award of $5,000
Application Opens: February 15th-May 1st
Anything else you need to know: Scholarship awardees are celebrated at The Dru Project’s Annual Memorial Party in June in Orlando. It’s a wonderful event that I got to go to last year.
League Foundation
This is a foundation created just for awarding LGBTQ+ scholarships!
Available to LGBTQ+ students from: the USA and who are going to college/university in the USA or Canada
Just seniors in high school, or beyond?: just seniors in high school going into college/university
Amount: One time award between $4,000-$2,500
Application Open: January 1-April 14th at midnight
Anything else you need to know: I personally found this application process quite simple, so I think this is a good place to apply.
Point Foundation
The Point Foundation is dedicated to helping LGBTQ+ students succeed in higher education. Not only are awardees granted a scholarship, but also mentorship and internship opportunities.
Available to LGBTQ+ students from: any country, but they must be enrolled in a college in the USA
Just seniors in high school, or beyond?: available to any LGBTQ+ student currently pursuing higher education that grants a degree — so post-doctoral research programs do not count
Amount: Annual awards of $10,000 — how many depends are where you are in school at the time
Application Opens: November 1st-January 28th — so it is closed for this year, but start gearing up for next year!
Anything else you need to know: This application process is extensive, and involves many rounds, including a phone interview and an in-person interview if one makes it to that round.
Hampton Roads Pride Scholarship
This is an organization that seeks to fund LGBTQ+ initiatives and the pursuits of LGBTQ+ students.
Available to LGBTQ+ students from: the website does not detail this as far as I can see
Just seniors in high school, or beyond?: available to any LGBTQ+ student currently pursuing higher education — this includes trade school!
Amount: One time award of $1,600 — but I take it that the amount fluctuates every year with how many winners are chosen
Application Opens: I can’t find a date when it opened…but I know it is open now and is until April 1st!
Anything else you need to know: Similar deal as League Foundation — an easy application process.
The Stonewall Foundation Scholarships: The Traub Dicker Rainbow Scholarship for Women-identified Lesbians, and Levin-Goff Scholarship for LGBTQI Immigrants
Available to LGBTQ+ students from: as for Traub-Dicker, the website does not detail this as far as I can see, but Levin-Goff Scholarship is dedicated to undocumented immigrants, so they must be residing in the USA
Just seniors in high school, or beyond?: Traub-Dicker is available to undergrad and grad students, and Levin Goff is available for undergrad students
Amount: Traub-Dicker award several scholarships of up to $3,000 last year. Levin-Goff awards students $25,000 for up to two years of school.
Application Opens: Last year, Traub-Dicker opened on April 25th and closed on June 27th. I am unsure when Levin-Goff opened last year, but there is a link to join the mailing list on the hyperlink above, so sign up for that if you are interested in knowing.
Anything else you need to know: The Levin-Goff Scholarship is fantastic in that it for anyone who has been granted or is seeking asylum. The application requirements are flexible depending on how safe the student feels sharing certain information.
Here’s a link that shares descriptions to national and state-wide LGBTQ+ scholarships!
There are so many expenses when it comes to your higher education — not only tuition, but room and board if you are living on campus, textbooks, things for your dorm, and perhaps study abroad or travel costs. I hope you apply for these scholarships, because you deserve to have an educational experience that is full of learning and growing, not full of worrying about the bills.
Stay tuned for another blog soon about how to write a great scholarship essay!
About the Author:
Alyssa Sileo’s Thespian identity comes first and foremost in anything she carries out. As a member of the Drew University Class of 2022, she studies theatre arts, women’s and gender studies, and Spanish. She’s a proud NJ Thespian Alumni and member of their state chapter board. She is the leader of the international performances network The Laramie Project Project, which unites worldwide productions and readings of the acclaimed Tectonic Theater Project play and encourages community-based LGBTQ+ advocacy. Alyssa is humbled to serve as the 2017 Spirit of Matthew Award winner and as a Youth Ambassador for Matthew Shepard Foundation. She believes there is an advocacy platform tucked into every piece of the theatre catalogue and intends to write outreach into the canon.
