Are you a LGBTQ+ student or prospective student, who is interested in additional financial resources to support your education at Kenyon? If so, there are a variety of national and regional scholarship opportunities that are available at various points throughout the year. Kenyon also has a number of processes in place to support you in accessing financial support resources.

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National Scholarships

Explore various national scholarship opportunities for LGBTQ+ students below. Opportunities are available for prospective, new and/or returning students at Kenyon.

Better Brothers LA

Better Brothers LA, an organization that supports the Black LGBTQ+ community in Southern California, provides a national scholarship opportunity to assist with purchasing textbooks. Their book scholarship opens each fall, and awards are made in the early spring term. Amounts range from $500 to $1,500 for each recipient. For more information about eligibility criteria, visit the Better Brothers LA website.

Gay Asian Pacific Islander Foundation

GAPA provides a national scholarship for new and/or returning college students, who are involved in Asian/Pacific Islander and LGBTQ+ activism. Amounts range from $1,000 to $5,000 for each recipient, and these funds can also be used for study abroad opportunities. Their scholarship application closes in June of each year. For more information about eligibility criteria, visit the GAPA website.

LEAGUE Foundation

The LEAGUE Foundation provides a national scholarship for graduating high school seniors, who will be entering college. They offer multiple scholarships with varying award amounts each year. For more information about eligibility criteria, visit the LEAGUE Foundation website.

National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals

NOGLSTP provides two, annual scholarships for students enrolled in STEM fields. One of these two scholarships will be granted in the amount of $5,000 to an undergraduate student, and the funds may go towards a students educational and/or research costs. This opportunity is only available to students who have completed at least two years of undergraduate work. Their scholarship application closes in June of each year. For more information about eligibility, visit the NOGLSTP website.

The Point Foundation

The Point Foundation is one of the nation’s largest annual LGBTQ+ scholarship fund, and they award multiple scholarships for student across the country each year. The average individual amount for a scholarship from the Point Foundation is $10,000, and their scholarship application opens in November. For more information about eligibility criteria, visit the Point Foundation website.

PFLAG

PFLAG hosts a national scholarship program for graduating high school seniors, who have applied to an accredited college. While the amounts for their scholarship vary, they also offer chapter specific opportunities throughout the state as well. This application will re-open in the near future, and applications are due in the spring term. For more information about eligibility criteria, visit the PFLAG website.

Stonewall Community Foundation

The Stonewall Community Foundation currently hosts multiple scholarship opportunities for students across the country. Their Traub-Dicker Rainbow Scholarship provides support between $1,500 to $3,000 for incoming and/or returning students. The application will re-open soon, and you simply need to join their email listserv to learn more about the forthcoming application cycle. For more information about eligibility criteria, visit the Stonewall Community Foundation website.

Regional Scholarships

Explore various regional scholarship opportunities for LGBTQ+ students in Ohio listed below. Opportunities are available for prospective, new and/or returning students at Kenyon.

LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland

This LGBT community center offers an annual Pride Scholarship for students who are residents of Ohio. While they select one scholarship recipient per year, applicants can continue to apply annually. This scholarship will re-open in the near future, and applications are due in the spring term. For more information about eligibility criteria, visit the community center's website.

PFLAG of Greater Cincinnati

PFLAG of Greater Cincinnati’s scholarship program provides multiple opportunities for students either residing in and/or attending college in the greater Cincinnati area. This program awards scholarships of varying amounts to multiple students each June. For more information about eligibility criteria, visit the PFLAG of Greater Cincinnati website.

Application Assistance

The ODEI recognizes that there are many unique scholarship opportunities available for LGBTQ+ students. If you are a current LGBTQ+ Kenyon student and would like to discuss how to craft a strong scholarship application to support your academic career, please contact ODEI Associate Director Dorian Rhea Debussy. From there, we can assist you with crafting a strong personal narrative, identifying and approaching faculty and staff for recommendation letters, managing time commitments for applications and more.

For additional information about national scholarship and fellowship opportunities, you may also contact Thomas Hawks, director of the Office of National Fellowships and Scholarships, at hawkst@kenyon.edu.

Emergency Financial Support Services

Kenyon recognizes that some LGBTQ+ students might require emergency financial support resources to continue their education if they experience a sudden lack of familial support. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has a number of support mechanisms in place for these situations.

Students, who are in unusual circumstances including 1) dealing with familial abandonment or 2) fleeing an emotionally and/or physically abusive family environment, may be eligible for a “dependency override” on their FAFSA. If granted a dependency override, such students may be recognized as independent and may have access to larger financial aid packages. In these situations, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, along with the Office of Financial Aid, can help students navigate the process of requesting a dependency override to obtain the necessary financial resources to continue their education.

Some students, who may or may not be eligible for a dependency override, may also need access to on-campus housing during winter and/or summer breaks. The Office of Residential Life has a specific procedure for accessing break housing. However, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion can also assist with advocating for LGBTQ+ students, who may have specific needs related to their identity and/or specific family situations.

Finally, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has a number of student success funds for academic needs, internships, professional attire, medical and emergency expenses and more. For more information on these funds or to check your eligibility for them, please refer to the Student Success Fund webpage.

If you are a LGBTQ+ student with questions about emergency financial support services, please reach out to ODEI Associate Director Rhea Debussy.