Oregon LGBTQ Scholarship Resources

By George T. Nicola
The Gay & Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN)
Last updated October 29, 2014

This article is an attempt to identify some scholarship resources that might in some way be Oregon LGBTQ related. I did the best I could to select only what appears to be legitimate. If you believe otherwise, please let us know. Send this and other feedback, corrections, or additions to info@glapn.org.

Because I am always referring to websites, many of which have scholarship lists, there may be many redundancies. Some scholarship might be listed in several different of these sites. However, I am included all the links to make sure we don’t miss anything.

These types of offers change frequently, so the below details may not always be up to date. If you are interested in any of them, check the sites thoroughly. Additionally, call or email the organizations for more thorough and the most current details.

Pride Foundation

Scholarship provider: According to the organization’s web site, “Pride Foundation is a regional community foundation that inspires giving to expand opportunities and advance full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people across the Northwest. We invest in organizations, students, and leaders in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington—transforming individual acts of courage into a unified movement for change.” The organization was established in 1985. (http://www.pridefoundation.org/about/history/)
Scholarship details: “Pride Foundation provides post-secondary educational scholarships to current and future leaders in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ), and straight ally community from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.” For full detail, see http://www.pridefoundation.org/what-we-do/scholarships/.
Home page: http://www.pridefoundation.org/

Peacock Productions Inc. (The Audria M. Edwards Scholarship Fund)

Scholarship provider: According to the organization’s web site, Peacock Productions Inc’s “primary purpose is to promote the education of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and to eliminate prejudice against that community.” Peacock’s major project is generating funds for the Audria M. Edwards Scholarship Fund which it owns and manages. Money is raised through the mostly drag performances at events such as Peacock in the Park and Peacock After Dark.
Scholarship details: For qualifications, applications, and selection details, see http://www.peacockinthepark.org/#scholarship-section.
Home page: http://www.peacockinthepark.org/

Equity Foundation

Scholarship provider: According to the organization’s web site, “Equity Foundation is located in Portland, Oregon and is Oregon’s only grant-making institution whose purpose is to fund organizations whose mission and programs advance equality for those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LBGTQ) community. Equity was founded in Portland in 1989 by a group of LGBTQ Oregonians who began to advocate for equality as a response to the many institutional practices and legal statutes in place that made it socially permissible or legal to discriminate against sexual minorities.” (http://www.equityfoundation.org/who-we-are/)
Scholarship details: Numerous Oregon LGBTQ groups sponsor scholarship funds whose management they have entrusted to Equity Foundation. However, Equity does not necessarily determine how to award them. For details, see http://www.equityfoundation.org/funding-programs/scholarships/. Click on the tab “Currently Accepting Applications” and tab “2015 Applications” for full detail. Some of their major scholarships include:
Pride of the Rose Scholarship: “Scholarships are available to members of the LGBT communities and their children who reside in the Portland Quad-County area or Clark County Washington. Applicants must be pursuing their education beyond the secondary level and must be in demonstrated need of financial assistance to attain their educational goals.”
The Bill and Ann Shepherd Legal Scholarship Fund: “The Bill and Ann Shepherd Legal Scholarship provides financial assistance to third-year and fourth-year law students who wish to advance equal rights and justice for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender individuals.” It is named for two of the four cofounders of PFLAG Portland.
Home page: http://www.equityfoundation.org/

The Human Rights Campaign Scholarship Database for Oregon: http://www.hrc.org/scholarship-database/c/oregon

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender College Scholarships Compiled by the Oregon State University Office of LGBT Outreach & Services: http://oregonstate.edu/lgbtqqia/lgbtq-college-scholarships

The University of Oregon Scholarship Opportunities for the LGBTQ Community: http://lgbt.uoregon.edu/GetSupport/Scholarships.aspx

Scholarship Resources for LGBT Students: http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/blog/scholarship-opportunities/lgbt-scholarships

PFLAG National Scholarships Program: http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=370

Roy Scrivner Memorial Research Grants: http://www.apa.org/apf/funding/scrivner.aspx

Out to Protect Scholarship Fund: https://www.scholarshipexperts.com/scholarships/undergraduate-students/scholarships-for-college-freshmen/Out-to-Protect-Scholarship-Fund/1004015#.VEgf9_nF98E

Point Foundation: The National LGBT Scholarship Fund: http://www.pointfoundation.org/page.aspx?pid=393

The Chinn Scholarship for LGBT Atheist Activism: http://atheists.org/scholarship

The LIVE OUT LOUD Educational Scholarship: http://www.liveoutloud.info/wp/programs/scholarship/

LEAGUE Foundation LGBT Scholarship: http://www.leaguefoundation.org/league-foundation-scholarships/

Portland State University Queer Resources Center Scholarships: http://www.pdx.edu/queer/QRCscholarships. The subheading on this is “Local and National Scholarships, Grants and Foundations”.