Scholarships
LGBT Center Scholarship Application Deadline: March 1, 2025
Scholarship awards will be determined by funds and donations available at the time the scholarships are granted. The scholarship is a one-time award provided directly to the financial aid office of the University of Louisville.
All scholarships will require a personal statement (max 750 words). Below are questions you may use to guide your response:
- What makes you a good candidate for this scholarship?
- What are your goals while enrolled at UofL?
- What are your goals after completing an undergraduate degree?
- What extracurricular activities, social justice movements, or other activities are you currently involved in? Be sure to highlight any activism or advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community.
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How do you plan to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in the future?
Bourke DeLeon Endowed LGBTQ+ Catholic Scholarship
Established in 2018 by the University of Louisville Alumnus Greg Bourke and his husband Michael DeLeon, the Bourke DeLeon Endowed LGBTQ+ Catholic Scholarship will be awarded to subsidize the cost of higher education at the University of Louisville, with preference given to students who are a member of the LGBTQ+ and Catholic communities
Qualifications: To apply you must meet the following qualifications:
Plan to be seeking an undergraduate degree at the University of Louisville in the upcoming academic year
Be enrolled for at least 6 credit hours at the University of Louisville
Minimum GPA: 2.5
Be a graduate of a Catholic high school, identify as Catholic and be active in and supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, or seek to enhance the connection between the Catholic and LGBTQ+ communities
Established by the University of Louisville Pride Alumni Council in honor of Brian Buford, founding Executive Director of the UofL LGBT Center, the Brian Buford Endowed Pride Alumni Scholarship will be awarded to subsidize the cost of higher education at the University of Louisville, with preference given to LGBTQ+ students.
Qualifications: To apply you must meet the following qualifications:
Plan to be seeking an undergraduate degree at the University of Louisville in the upcoming academic year
Be enrolled for at least 6 credit hours at the University of Louisville
Minimum GPA: 2.5
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Demonstrate active support for the LGBTQ+ community. Applicants are not required to be part of the LGBTQ+ community but must show a dedication to advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community
Dawn Wilson Scholarship for LGBTQ+ Students of Color
Established by alumnus Joey Feldman (Kent School of Social Work, 2010), the Dawn Wilson Scholarship will be awarded to subsidize the cost of higher education at the University of Louisville for undergraduate LGBTQ+ students of color.
Plan to be seeking an undergraduate degree at the University of Louisville in the upcoming academic year
Be enrolled for at least 6 credit hours at the University of Louisville
Minimum GPA: 2.5
Demonstrate active support for the LGBTQ+ community. Applicants are not required to be part of the LGBTQ+ community but must show a dedication to advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community
Additional Scholarships
The following scholarships and scholarship databases may be of interest to LGBTQ+ and allied students but are not tied to the University of Louisville LGBT Center:
Ken Terrill Memorial Award
Deadline: See link below to A&S scholarship page
The College of Arts and Sciences gives an annual award to a student who demonstrates leadership in the LGBTQ+ community, in memory of the late Ken Terrill, a professor of Theatre Arts from 1978 to 1994. The fund was established by his family, co-workers, students, and friends. This award is available to students university-wide.
Find more information about the Ken Terrill Memorial Award here: http://louisville.edu/artsandsciences/students/scholarships
Credit Donkey LGBTQ+ Scholarship Database
A guide of nearly 200 scholarships, internships, and nonprofit resources for LGBTQ+ students. Visit https://www.creditdonkey.com/resources-lgbtq-students.html
Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund
The Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund provides grants to students actively working for peace and justice. These need-based scholarships are awarded to those able to do academic work at the university level and who are part of the progressive movement on the campus and in the community. Early recipients worked for civil rights, against McCarthyism, and for peace in Vietnam. Recent grantees have been active in the struggle against racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression; building the movement for economic justice; and creating peace through international anti-imperialist solidarity.
For more information, including deadlines, eligibility, and other requirements, visit https://davisputter.org/
Human Rights Campaign Scholarship Database
The Human Rights Campaign hosts a scholarship database for LGBTQ+ and allied students on their webpage here: https://www.hrc.org/scholarship-database/c/national
Deadlines, requirements, and eligibility vary for each scholarship in the listing.
Transgender First National Scholarship
The first national scholarship exclusively dedicated to helping underserved Transgender students get affordable access to a college education. Applicants must identify as Transgender, plan to pursue a degree, or currently pursuing a degree, at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution, have a high school diploma or GED, and be a U.S. Citizen. Awards are annual and based on eligibility, financial need, personal hardship, academic merit, and other related considerations.
For more information visit https://www.onlinedegree.com/transgender-first-scholarship/
Zippia Scholarship Listing
Zippia, a job and scholarship search website, offers a listing of "30 LGBTQ Scholarships for Higher Education"
"Individuals within the LGBTQ community are already faced with enough obstacles in their daily lives that they don't need the added stress of figuring out how to pay for a higher education. Through the means of finding 30 scholarships dedicated to supporting the community, we're hoping to alleviate some of that stress. Many scholarships go unapplied each year, which means lots of money goes unused. So make sure you check out these scholarships while you're planning your educational future." - Zippia