Astraea Scholarships/Grants
If you are a member of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, and Transgender Community, or LGBT, and you are seeking an education, you need to know about the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. This is an organization that also sponsors very important LGBT scholarships and grants for individuals and other organizations that are a part of the LGBT Community.
The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice began in 1977, and was mostly comprised of women from a vast array of diversity from around the world. While the program was not designed or implemented to help individuals, it was founded to help other organizations that work to help individuals, and while the initial scope was lesbian women, the foundation now helps organizations that serve people of all sexes that are a part of the gay and lesbian community.
LGBT Grants and scholarships that are available through Astraea include the Fund for Sexual Minorities, the US Fund Panel Grants, the Margot Karle Scholarship Fund, the Astraea Visual Arts Fund, and the Lesbian Writers Fund. The Fund for Sexual Minorities has no deadline for applying, and required documents are accepted year round. This fund is not for individuals, but for other organizations, and can be awarded in varying amounts up to $10,000. The same is true for the US Fund Panel Grants, with the exception that it is only available to organizations based in the United States.
The Margot Karle Scholarship Fund, the Astraea Visual Arts Fund, and the Lebian Writers Fund are all awarded to individuals. The deadline for the Margot Karle Scholarship fund occurs in early September of each year, and notification of awards is made in December of each year. This LGBT scholarship is awarded to undergraduate women who are attending the City University of New York. The amount of this award is unspecified, and depends on how much is available in the fund.
The Astraea Visual Arts Fund also has a deadline that occurs in early September each year with notifications made in December. Applicants must reside in the United States, and this award is made to a visual arts contemporary lesbian each year. Each year, three grants are awarded in the amount of $2500 each.
The Lesbian Writers Fund award is made to lesbian poets and lesbian fiction writers who reside in the United States, and the deadline for applying occurs in July of each year. This fund awards twelve women, for a total amount of $26,600 each year. Like the Astaea Visual Arts Fund, the awards are considered to be lesbian grants, as opposed to lesbian scholarships or loans.
It is important to note that to be eligible for any three of these programs, you must be attending City University of New York, or you must be pursuing an education or career in visual arts or writing – and most scholarships are made to Lesbians, but may be made to other members of the LGBT community.
#1 by Vivian K on December 12, 2010 - 4:41 pm
Hi,
Am a 30 year old kenyan female identifying as a lesbian. I have been coming out to my family and friends from the beginning of this year. I have never been actively involved in any LGBTI cause but would wish to be however having lack of experience and living in the middle east does not help. I hold a bachelors degree in Accounting but I would love to study and gain some experience in any field to further the cause of LGBTI right anywhere in the world but especially in my country. I have been looking for scholarships for African LGBTI students wishing to study in the US; so far most scholarships are for those who are already studying in the US.
My question is, are there any scholarship tailor made for LGBTI African students wishing to study in the US?
Your help is highly appreciated.
Thanks.
Regards
Vivian.
#2 by admin on December 14, 2010 - 9:19 pm
Vivian,
go to East Africa Focus which has Kenyan women scholarships. Also send them a message through their ‘contact us’ form asking them specifically what your looking for. They are very responsive.
Go to Kenyan female scholarships for more.