Point Foundation National Scholarships for LGBT Students

Point Foundation National Scholarships

The Point Foundation understands the special challenges that LGBT students face, which is why the Point Foundation National LGBT Scholarships was established. Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people often find that they are essentially abandoned by family and friends when they make their sexual orientation or gender identity known to others. This leaves a LGBT student on their own to finance their college education.

The Point Foundation works to equalize the playing field for those who are disadvantaged simply due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. They do this with a series of grants and scholarships, enabling the people that they serve to improve their life circumstances. The Point Foundation partners with a wide range of corporations, philanthropic people, and other foundations for this purpose. The Point Foundation was established in 2001, and since that time, the organization has awarded more than $3 million to LGBT students.

The Point Foundation National LGBT Scholarship Fund awards students with funds to cover the cost of tuition, supplies, room and board, books, living expenses, and transportation associated with their education. Each award is worth approximately $13,600, but more than that is spent on each winner, as each winner is also mentored and offered leadership training. The total amount spent on each winner yearly is approximately $34,000.

Those who win a Point Scholarship, and become Point Scholars, must continue to show academic achievement and be willing to contribute to the LGBT community. The contribution to the LGBT community is accomplished through an individual community service project. Because the scholarship does not cover the entire cost of education, Point Scholars are expected to find additional financing elsewhere, or to work while attending school to help cover those expenses.

Aside from the Point Foundation National LGBT Scholarships, the foundation manages numerous other scholarships, including the Allan Gilmour & Eric Jirgens Point Scholarship, the Bob Fennell Point Scholarship, and the Bryan L. Knapp Point Scholarship, the Calamus Foundation Point Scholarship, the Casey Sakir Point Scholarship, the Gregory Grosh Point Scholarship, the HBO Point Scholarship, the Jan Aronson Point Scholarship, the Joan R. Hellerpoint Scholarship, the Dr. Joan W. Fernandez Point Scholarship, the Jonathan D. Lewis Point Scholarship, the Kevin Hummer Point Scholarship, the Lawrence King/Jeffrey Fashion Cares Point Scholarship, the Minton-Spidell Point Scholarship, the Paul W. Speier Point Scholarship, the Phyllis Mandler & Gary Elden Point Scholarship, the Rand Skol Nick Point Scholarship, the Thomas and Sara Branton Point Scholarship, the Time Warner Point Scholarship, the University of Phoenix Point Scholarship, the Walter M. Decker Point Scholarship, and the Wells Fargo Point Scholarship.

Each scholarship administered by the Point Foundation has its own guidelines, eligibility criteria, and selection process, but all of these scholarships can be applied for with just one application through the Point Foundation. The deadline for submitting the application for all of these awards occurs in early February of each year.

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