Audria Edwards Scholarship
If you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, there are many scholarship opportunities available to you. This is also true if you are a child of someone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. One such LGBT scholarship fund that needs your attention when you are seeking funding for your education is the Audria M. Edwards Scholarship Fund.
Peacock Productions manages the Audria M. Edwards Scholarship Fund. The fund was set up by her son, Woody Johnson, also known as Lady Elaine Peacock, and his sister, Misty Waters. The purpose of Peacock Productions, also known as Peacock in the Park was founded in 1987 by Mr. Johnson, who is a drag entertainer. He was the Rose Empress of the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court, which is the oldest non-profit organization for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in Oregon.
Mr. Johnson and his sister Misty both passed away in 1993. Audria M. Edwards passed away in 1987 – while performing with her son during the annual Peacock in the Park event, and the fund continues in their memories, and the organization still exists for the purpose of educating people about the LGBT community and all that it has to offer the world. Because Mr. Johnson died of AIDS, the organization also strives to raise awareness and support research for HIV and AIDS.
The Audria M. Edwards Scholarship fund was established in 1987, and started awarding funds in 1992. Since then the fund has awarded $167,000 to students who are members of the LGBT community and their children. Only those who live in Oregon or Southwest Washington are eligible to apply. You must have also resided in one of these areas for more than one year. This information tells us that the organization awards close to $10,000 each year.
To be eligible for these LGBT scholarships, you must be a member of the LGBT community, or a child of someone who is, and you must show financial need. You must also be seeking an undergraduate degree. You must be pursuing a degree in trade, academics, vocational skills, or the arts to qualify, and you must have already been accepted or already enrolled in an accredited college or university.
Once all of the applications have been reviewed, finalists will be called in for a personal interview. Selections are based first on qualifications, and second on financial need, followed by clarity of your educational objectives. The deadline for applying for the Audria M. Edwards Scholarship for LGBT is May 1st of each year. The amount of the award and the number of awards given each year depend on the amount of donations that are taken in by the fund each year, as the fund is solely replenished with donations which is true of many gay scholarships today.
Contact
Audria M. Edwards Scholarship Fund
PO Box 8854
Portland, OR 97207-8854
