Closed: Scholarship Program for Young Women and Trans Youth

In 2005, Third Wave Foundation closed its Scholarship Program to shift resources to other programs. If you were directed here from another location, please email us at info@thirdwavefoundation.org to let us know where you found out about the scholarship so that we can notify the party of our scholarship program’s termination.

Third Wave recognizes that the need for financial support is as great as ever. In response to the large number of inquiries we receive about other scholarship/fellowship opportunities for young women, we have compiled a few exciting and practical funding sources for activists.

There are a number of comprehensive websites and search engines with information about thousands of scholarships: The Sallie Mae Corporation has created Wired Scholar, Peterson’s College Quest, and FastWeb. In addition, the Department of Education has information about loans, financial aid, grants, state-based aid, and more. Finally, your local library will have books and information with scholarship details.

Please contact the resources below to find out more about qualifications and deadlines. Good luck!

Vicki Car Scholarships
P.O. Box 780968
San Antonio, TX 78278

For students of Latina heritage only, between ages of 17-22, residents of California or Texas.

The Posse Foundation
14 Wall Street, Suite 8A-60
New York, NY 10005

Identifies recruits and selects student leaders from New York City public high schools to form multicultural teams called “Posses”. These teams are then prepared, through an intensive eight-month Posse Training Program, for enrollment at top universities nationwide to pursue their academics and to help promote cross-cultural communication on campus. The Posse Program has exhibited great success over the past twelve years placing 359 students into top colleges and universities. These students have won over $27 million in scholarships from Posse partner universities and are persisting and graduating at close to 90%—a rate higher than the national averages at institutions of higher education.

Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund
Post Office Box 7307
New York, NY 10116-7307

Provides need-based grants to students actively working for peace and justice.

Association for Women in Science Educational Foundation
1200 New York Ave., NW, Suite 650
Washington, DC 20005

Each year, the AWIS Educational Foundation offers predoctoral awards and college scholarships for high school seniors in the amount of $1,000. A new program, the Kirsten R. Lorentzen Award, is for college sophomores or juniors studying physics or geoscience. Information about these awards appears below, with links to the instructions and application forms.

Association of American Indian Affairs, Inc.
Lisa Wyzlic, Director of Scholarship Programs
Association on American Indian Affairs
966 Hungerford Drive, Suite 12-B
Rockville, MD 20850

Since 1922, the Association on American Indian Affairs has been dedicated to helping Native people and their communities in meeting the challenges they face. One of these challenges is that of paying for a higher education. AAIA assists college students in meeting this challenge through our eight scholarship programs. AAIA offers two graduate fellowships, one scholarship which is open to graduate and undergraduates and five undergraduate scholarships, one of which is available to students from tribes that are state recognized but not federally recognized.

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation
1140 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036

Awards Healthcare and science professionals, PhD candidates on domestic and international work.

The Audre Lorde Scholarship Fund
ZAMI, Inc.
P.O. Box 2502
Decatur, GA 30031

Administered by ZAMI. It is ZAMI’s goal to award ten or more named scholarships of $1000 each annually to out lesbians and gay men of African descent who are making significant contributions to their communities. ZAMI wants to support and encourage their continuing education by providing scholarships to those women and men enrolled in accredited technical, undergraduate and graduate programs.

Revson Fellows Program
Columbia University
420 West 118th Street
Mail Code 3355
New York, NY 10027

The program seeks individuals who have made substantial contributions to the city and who reflect its diversity. Fellows are required to demonstrate intellectual interest and the capacity to benefit from the University’s teaching and research resources. However, there are no educational prerequisites for a Revson Fellowship. The program welcomes Fellows without previous academic credentials as well as those holding undergraduate and advanced degrees.

American Association of University Women
AAUW Educational Foundation
Dept. 60
301 ACT Drive
Iowa City, IA 52243-4030

A myriad of awards and grants for undergraduate, graduate and professional women.

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
400 West 59th Street
New York, New York 10019

For students age 30 and under. The purpose of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans is to provide opportunities for continuing generations of able and accomplished New Americans to achieve leadership in their chosen fields. The Program is established in recognition of the contributions New Americans have made to American life and in gratitude for the opportunities the United States has afforded the donors and their family.

Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation
Deborah Lewis, Executive Director
Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation, Inc.
2460 North Lake Ave., PMB #128
Altadena, CA. 91001

For women with disabilities.

Business and Professional Women’s Foundation
1900 M Street, NW, Suite 310
Washington, D.C. 20036

The BPW Foundation established the Career Advancement Scholarship Program in 1969 to provide financial assistance to disadvantaged women over 25 seeking to further their education. Scholarships are provided to women who wish to advance in their careers, or are soon to enter or re-enter the workforce. The Foundation has awarded more than $6 million in scholarships, grants, and loans to over 8,000 women seeking to improve their lives.

Jeanette Rankin Foundation
P.O. Box 6653
Athens, GA 30604-6653

The Jeannette Rankin Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for, and awarding grants to, low-income women, ages 35 and older. Each grant recipient has a vision of how a college education will benefit herself, her family, and her community. Most recipients are in truly meager financial circumstances and may have other hardships or disabilities.
A. Patrick Charnon Memorial Scholarship

A. Patrick Charnon Memorial Scholarship
The Center for Education Studies
P.O. Box 208, San Francisco, CA 94104-0208
scholarships@cesresources.org

Must value tolerance, compassion, and respect for all other people in their community and demonstrate their commitment to these values in a 500 to 1,000 word essay. Must also be admitted or enrolled full time in an undergraduate program in a 4-year US college.

Barbara Wiedner and Dorothy Vandercook Peace Scholarship
Wiedner & Vandercook M.S.F.
c/o Leal Portis, Chairperson
16335 Patricia Way
Grass Valley, CA 95949
(530) 273-6018
Contact: Leal Portis

Must be a high school senior or college freshman; write a brief autobiography of their activities relating to clear disarmament, conflict resolution, or community service; describe his or her plan for contributing to a healthy planet; provide information on his or her school and community activities; include two letters of recommendation.

The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest
The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
529 Fifth Avenue – Suite 1802
New York, NY 10017
212-490-7777 Fax 212-490-6006
info@eliewieselfoundation.org

Open to full time juniors and seniors in college or university, but student must have a faculty sponsor. Check the website for yearly essay question.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund
High School Scholarship Selection Committee
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Contact: Sara Paredes
55 Second Street, Suite 1500
San Francisco, CA 94105
1-877-HSF-INFO (1-877-473-4636)
highschool@hsf.net

Must be of Hispanic heritage (one parent fully Hispanic or each parent half Hispanic), have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale or 3.7 on a 5 point scale), and plan to enroll or be enrolled in a degree-seeking program at an accredited US college or university.

Migrant Farmworker Scholarships
Scholarship Committee or Geneseo Migrant Center
P.O. Box 549 27 Lackawanna Ave.
Geneseo, NY 14454 Mt. Morris, New York 14510
(800) 245-5681

Five different scholarships offered. Please call or check website. Must have a recent history of movement for agricultural employment, demonstrate scholastic achievement, and financial need. Check website for additional requirements for some of the scholarships.

National Peace Essay Contest
United States Institute of Peace
National Peace Essay Contest
1200 17th Street, NW Suite 2000
Washington, DC 20036

Available to students in 9th through 12th grades who attend a public, private or parochial school or participate in a high school correspondence program in any of the 50 states, DC or the US territories. Must have a sponsor or contest coordinator within your school.

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
PMB 121
1187 Coast Village Road, Suite 1
Santa Barbara, California 93108-2794
(805) 965-3443

Offers a poetry and an essay contest. Requirements depend on the contest you will be entering. 3 poems or 1 essay are to be submitted.

PFLAG-HATCH Youth Scholarship Program
(202) 467-8180

Must be a graduating lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender student. Contact local chapters for more information.

Prudential Spirit of Community Award
CSFA
1505 Riverview Road
PO Box 297
St. Peter, MN 56082

Students must be in grades 5-12 from any state. Student must show participation in a volunteer activity that occurred at least partly during the 12 months prior to the date of application. Application must be submitted to a school principal, Girl Scout council executive director, or county 4-H agent by the last week in October.

Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community
The Yoshimaya Award
P.O. Box 19247
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 457-0458

Students must be nominated. Must demonstrate self motivation, leadership, creativity, dedication, and a commitment to ursuing community service. Log-on to website for complete details.

Chicana/Latina Foundation
Chicana/Latina Foundation Scholarship Committee
P.O. Box 1941
El Cerrito, CA 94530
(510) 642-1802
info@chicanalatina.org

Must be of Chicana and/or Latina heritage, have resided in California for two years, and goes to college in selected Bay Area Counties.

Comision Femenil Scholarship
Attn: Ana Gonzalez
P.O. Box 86013
Los Angeles, CA 90086

Must be a Latina pursuing her education at an accredited college or university.