Every year, both the Seattle Pride Foundation and the GSBA (Greater Seattle Business Association) award numerous scholarships to LGBTQ+ college students from the Northwest. The applications are due in early January for funding that applies to the upcoming academic year.
GSBA alone awards over 50 scholarships each year, averaging approximately $9000 per student. Numerous UW students receive these scholarships each year, though the program is not limited to UW only. The scholarships not only provide financial support for the costs of college, but they offer great career-building opportunities. GSBA scholars receive membership in the GSBA Chamber of Commerce, where students join a powerful network of LGBTQ+ business leaders from an array of industries and companies around Seattle. Scholars are also invited to participate in GSBA’s Leadership Academy, where they’ll learn from professional mentors, develop leadership skills, and make invaluable connections for future careers.
These foundations prioritize moving resources to LGBTQ+ students who need it most, so they especially focus funding on those LGBTQ+ student leaders who have some or all of the following experiences and qualities:
- Demonstrate a commitment to advancing justice and the well-being of their communities, past, present, and future
- Have experienced family rejection and/or haven’t been able to access a larger community support system
- Face systemic barriers to educational access, and have been impacted by systemic discrimination and oppression.
The Pride Foundation and GSBA have slightly different criteria for who is eligible, but they both use the same application.
Applications for both scholarships are due Friday, Jan. 5, 2024
