Equity Foundation Scholarships
The Equity Foundation fights inequality with education by offering LGBT scholarships for those who are gay. If you are a member of the LGBT community, meaning that you are a lesbian, you are gay, you are bi-sexual, or transgender, or connected to this community in some other way, and you intend to pursue a higher education, you need to know about the Equity Foundation and particularly the Equity Foundation Scholarships that are available.
Founded in Oregon, in 1989, the Equity Foundation exists for the purpose of doing away with prejudice against certain groups of people – specifically prejudice against those who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgender. Initially, the activities of the organization focused on funding other organizations that address the same issues, and the Equity Foundation still makes grants to those organizations, in addition to managing eight separate LGBT scholarship programs for members of the LGBT community.
The eight Gay scholarship programs that the Equity Foundation manages include the Bill and Ann Shepherd Legal Scholarship Fund, which awards third year law students with financial awards that vary from year to year. The deadline for this fund is in late June of each year. Also included is the Pride of the Rose Scholarship Fund, with a deadline that occurs in late July of each year. This scholarship is awarded in varying amounts to those who live in the quad county area of Portland, Oregon and Clark County, Washington, who are also members of the LGBT community or their children.
Those who live outside of the Portland, Oregon area may be interested in the Just Out Scholarship Fund, which is also awarded in varying amounts each year. The deadline for this LGBT scholarship is late June of each year, as is the deadline for the Kaiser Permanente Northwest Pride Scholarship, which is available to those who reside in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington in varying amounts. For this scholarship, however, you must be pursuing an education in healthcare.
The Portland Area Business Association Scholarship is also managed by the Equity Foundation, in varying amounts, and the deadline for applying is in late June of each year. The Armistead Maupin Creative Writing Scholarship is awarded in varying amounts, and while it must be applied for, there is also essentially a creative writing contest that determines the winner. The award varies from year to year and must be applied for by late June.
The last two LGBT college scholarships offered by the Equity Foundation are the Gregori Jakovina Endowment Scholarship and the Linfield Good Samaritan School of Nursing Scholarship Fund for future nurses. The Gregori Jokovina Scholarship is awarded in varying amounts each year, and must be applied for by December 31st of each year. The Linfield Good Samaritan Scholarship is awarded in the amount of $5000, and can be renewed for three years.
Each of these eight Gay scholarship opportunities has different eligibility requirements, but one thing remains the same for each, in that you must be a member of the LGBT community, or the child of someone who is. Without meeting that specification, you most likely will not be awarded one of these Equity Foundation Scholarships.
Equity Foundation Contact Information
620 SW 5th Ave. Suite #800
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: 503-231-5759
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 5696
Portland, OR 97228
Email: info@equityfoundation.org for questions
