Scholarships for LGBTQ+ Students

Compare the Main Programs

Point Foundation Flagship Scholarship

Point Foundation runs the largest scholarship program specifically for LGBTQ+ students in the country. The Flagship Scholarship pays an average of $10,000 a year, renewable for up to four years, based on financial need, according to Point Foundation . The foundation selected 1,000 students for its 2025-2026 class, per its own announcement .

• Open to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students nationwide

• Requires at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA

• Open to graduating high school seniors or students already enrolled full time at an accredited, not-for-profit US college or university

• Open to LGBTQ+ students and allies with a demonstrated connection to the community

Pride Foundation Scholarships

Pride Foundation runs more than 60 scholarships through a single application for LGBTQ+ and questioning students, though eligibility is regional. You must be a resident of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington, though the school you attend does not have to be in the region, according to Pride Foundation . Since 1993 the foundation has awarded more than $8.5 million to more than 2,400 students in the region. Funds cover tuition, fees, room and board, study abroad, books, and course supplies.

LEAGUE Foundation Scholarship

The LEAGUE Foundation targets graduating high school seniors who identify as LGBTQ+ or as a supporter, judged on academics, community involvement, and educational goals, per LEAGUE Foundation . The foundation has awarded 253 scholarships totaling $560,000 since 1996, an average of roughly $2,200 per award. Applications typically open in January and close in April, with awards going out over the summer.

HRC Scholarship Database

The Human Rights Campaign does not award its own scholarship. Instead, it maintains a free, searchable LGBTQ+ Student Scholarship Database covering scholarships, fellowships, and grants for undergraduate and graduate students. Filter by identity, degree level, and state. The organization notes the list is not exhaustive and invites students to submit programs it has missed.

Where Else to Look

Check with your own college's LGBTQ+ resource center or financial aid office, since many schools run smaller institutional scholarships for LGBTQ+ students that never appear in national databases. Community foundations tied to a specific city or state, similar to Pride Foundation's regional model, are worth searching for by name plus "LGBTQ scholarship" and your state.

State and Regional Funds Beyond Pride Foundation

Pride Foundation covers the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain region, but it is not the only regional model. Community foundations in other parts of the country run comparable programs limited to their own state or metro area. Search your state name plus "LGBTQ community foundation scholarship" to find these, and check whether your hometown runs an LGBTQ+ center that maintains its own local scholarship fund.

Employer and Union Scholarships

If a parent or guardian works for a large employer, ask their HR department whether the company funds an employee resource group scholarship for LGBTQ+ dependents. A growing number of large employers fund small scholarship programs for employees' children through diversity and inclusion budgets. These programs rarely appear in general scholarship databases, so ask directly instead of searching for them online.

Writing the Essay

Most LGBTQ+ specific scholarship essays ask how your identity shaped your goals, your community involvement, or the obstacles you worked through. Write about specific moments and specific actions instead of general statements about your identity. A reader evaluating hundreds of applications remembers a story about a club you started or a project you led more than a broad statement about resilience.

Allies applying to programs that accept them, like Point Foundation and LEAGUE Foundation, should write concretely about what they have done to support the LGBTQ+ community, not only how they feel about it.

Build a Deadline Calendar Early

Point Foundation, Pride Foundation, and LEAGUE Foundation run on different annual cycles, and missing a deadline by a day usually means waiting a full year for the next round. Write down each program's opening and closing dates as soon as you find them and set reminders two weeks before each deadline, giving yourself time to request transcripts or recommendation letters.

Scholarship Money and Your Taxes

Amounts spent on tuition, required fees, and required course materials are generally tax free. Amounts used for room, board, or travel count as taxable income, according to the IRS . Ask each scholarship provider for a breakdown of how they classify your award if you are unsure, and keep the award letter with your tax records for the year you receive the money.

How to Apply Without Wasting Time

• Apply to as many programs as you qualify for. Winning one does not disqualify you from another.

• Check GPA and enrollment status requirements first. Point Foundation requires a 3.3 GPA and full-time enrollment. Other programs vary.

• Confirm state or regional restrictions before you spend hours on an essay, since programs like Pride Foundation accept residents of specific states only.

• Ask recommenders for letters early, since strong writers get busy close to deadlines.

• Keep a simple spreadsheet with each program's deadline, required documents, and submission status so nothing slips through.

• Reuse your personal statement across applications, tailoring it to each prompt instead of starting from scratch every time.