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LGBTQ+ students face a variety of obstacles, financial ones included. They may have less support from their families and more demands on their expenses. LGBTQ+ students might also have fewer resources to work with, as some may choose not to fill out the FAFSA because of fears over selecting a gender.

Earning a scholarship can help mitigate some of these concerns. Scholarships generally include some sort of merit or geographic requirement and require candidates to submit transcripts, letters of recommendation, written essays, and other information. Students can use the Human Rights Campaign's scholarship database to find more of these general scholarships. They can also consult with high school counselors and colleges in their state to find more regional opportunities.

Scholarships established for LGBTQ+ college students are available from several public and private organizations, as well as individual donors. Some welcome all LGBTQ+ applicants, while others may focus on specific subgroups. Check out our list of LGBTQ+ scholarships below for more details.

General LGBTQ+ Scholarships

These general scholarships are offered to all students who identify as LGBTQ+. Some are limited to students who reside in specific regions of the country, while others are available at the national level.

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Point Foundation Scholarships Who Can Apply: LGBTQ+ undergraduate or graduate students enrolled full time at a four-year accredited college or university in the United States are encouraged to apply.

Amount: Varies each year Visit the Scholarship Page Pride Foundation Scholarships Who Can Apply: The Pride Foundation awards several scholarships annually and offers online workshops for potential applicants. Scholarships are awarded to LGBTQ+ and allied students in specific geographic areas, those in financial need, and to LGBTQ+ youth lacking community support resources.

Amount: $3,250 to $12,000 Visit the Scholarship Page Queer Foundation Scholarships Who Can Apply: High school students compete for scholarships through a themed essay contest on queer studies or other designated topics. In addition to scholarships, winners receive mentoring, counseling, and tutoring services.

Amount: $1,000 Visit the Scholarship Page Colin Higgins Courage Award Who Can Apply: Designed to honor LGBTQ+ students who have overcome hardships or discrimination, this annual award goes to LGBTQ+ youth activists.

Amount: $10,000 Visit the Scholarship Page League Foundation Scholarships Who Can Apply: These scholarships are awarded annually to LGBTQ+ students with GPAs above 3.0 who have made community service contributions and have been accepted to an accredited US college or university.

Amount: Changes annually depending on funding Visit the Scholarship Page Markowski-Leach Scholarships Who Can Apply: Applicants must identify as LGBTQ+, and must be enrolled in a program that provides a degree or teaching credential with a minimum GPA of 2.5 at one of the following universities: San Francisco State University, Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, University of California San Francisco, or University of California Hasting College of Law.

Amount: Varies each year Visit the Scholarship Page Acorn Equality Fund Scholarships Who Can Apply: Applicants must attend any postsecondary institution and reside in downstate Illinois. Downstate Illinois includes all counties except the following: Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will.

Amount: $1,000 to $4,000 Visit the Scholarship Page Out For Education Scholarships Who Can Apply: Applicants must identify as LGBTQ+, be between ages 17–25, and have graduated from a Houston-area high school or plan on attending an accredited college or university in the Houston area. This area includes the following counties: Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller counties.

Amount: Varies each year Visit the Scholarship Page The Ronald P. Wilmot Scholarship Fund Who Can Apply: This scholarship is designed for students who are the children of gay or lesbian parents that have financial need or display academic excellence. Students must reside in one of the following areas to qualify: San Francisco, the Peninsula (Sunnyvale and north), Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Marin, or Sonoma counties.

Amount: $2,500 to $5,000 Visit the Scholarship Page Audria M. Edwards Scholarship Fund Who Can Apply: This scholarship is open to students pursing post-secondary education in the coming academic year who reside in Oregon or the following counties in southwest Washington: Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, and Wahkiakum. Applicants must have resided in one of these locations for at least one year. They must also identify as LGBTQ+ or have an LGBTQ+ parent.

Amount: Varies each year Visit the Scholarship Page Models of Excellence Scholarship Who Can Apply: This scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors in the following Southern California counties: Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura.

Amount: $1,000 to $3,000 Visit the Scholarship Page The LIVE OUT LOUD Educational Scholarship Who Can Apply: This scholarship is only offered to graduating high school seniors who identify as LGBTQ+ and live in the tri-state area of New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Awards are given only to applicants approved by the scholarship committee based on a variety of application materials.

Amount: $10,000 Visit the Scholarship Page The 49 Fund Scholarships Who Can Apply: The 49 Fund was founded in the aftermath of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting and provides 10 $4,900 scholarships annually to deserving gay students in Central Florida.

Amount: $4,900 Visit the Scholarship Page

Discipline-specific LGBTQ+ Scholarships

These scholarships are designed for LGBTQ+ students who want to pursue a career in a specific discipline or industry. They usually include merit-based requirements and other restrictions based on each discipline.

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National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals Scholarships Who Can Apply: Intended for LGBTQ+ students pursuing careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields, this scholarship is available to applicants with a commitment to the LGBTQ+ community and those who have finished two years of college with a 3.0 GPA or higher.

Amount: $5,000 Visit the Scholarship Page The Association of LGBTQ Journalists Scholarships Who Can Apply: Applicants must plan on pursuing a career in journalism and demonstrate a passion for the field. They must also demonstrate an awareness of the issues facing the LGBTQ+ community and the importance of fair and accurate news coverage.

Amount: Varies each year Visit the Scholarship Page Reaching Out LGBT+ MBA Fellowship Who Can Apply: This fellowship is available to students who are accepted into schools that participate in this initiative. Students will serve as ambassadors of the LGBTQ+ community at large and take an active role in on-campus LGBTQ+ activities.

Amount: $10,000 per academic year or $20,000 total scholarship Visit the Scholarship Page The National Gay Pilots Association Education Fund Who Can Apply: United Airlines partners with the National Gay Pilots Association to offer this scholarship to full-time juniors, seniors, or graduate students in an accredited aviation college or aeronautical science program. Applicants must be FAA Instrument rating certified, have a minimum GPA of 3.0, and have earned at least a private and instrument pilot certificate.

Amount: Amount Varies Visit the Scholarship Page

Demographic-based LGBTQ+ Scholarships

Some scholarships are designed specifically for one group within the LGBTQ+ community or intersect with other specialized scholarships. These scholarships include options for just men or women, people of a specific ethnicity, or intersections of other attributes with being a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

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Gamma Mu Foundation Scholarships Who Can Apply: Applicants must have completed high school or earned their GED by June of the application year, be admitted to an accredited institution during the fall of the following year, and must be a gay male US citizen under 35 years of age.

Amount: $1,000 to $2,500 Visit the Scholarship Page Traub-Dicker Rainbow Scholarship Who Can Apply: This annual scholarship is awarded to LGBTQ+ high school seniors, undergraduates, and graduates who identify as women. The program supports students who have demonstrated academic excellence and to make a difference through community service.

Amount: $1,500 to $3,000 Visit the Scholarship Page The Tang Scholarship Who Can Apply:This scholarship is awarded to Asian/Pacific Islander students with at least 25% ancestry and who graduated high school in the Bay Area with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Students must also be enrolled in college full-time.

Amount: up to $15,000 Visit the Scholarship Page American Atheists Chinn Scholarship Who Can Apply: Applicants for the Chinn Scholarship must be college students or transitioning from high school to collegiate study, have a minimum GPA of 2.5, identify as atheist, and be involved in LGBTQ+ atheist activism.

Amount: $500 Visit the Scholarship Page

Last Updated: May 06, 2019