The GSBA
Scholarship & Education Fund
Since 1991, The GSBA Scholarship & Education Fund has supported rising LGBTQ+ and allied leaders in Washington State allowing them to focus on their academic journeys without the weight of financial stress. Applications for 2025-26 are closed.
Join The Interest List
Your Future Starts Here!
The GSBA Scholarship & Education Fund does more than pay for school. When you receive one of our scholarships, you join a family that gets you, the whole you.
Whether you’re headed to college for the first time, registering in trade school, or working toward finishing your degree, we’ve got your back with more than just tuition help. You’ll be connected with opportunities that push you forward while making lifelong connections with fellow LGBTQ+, gender-expansive, and allied students who share your passion for equality and progress.
Ready to get started? We can’t wait to meet you!
Join The Interest List
I'm Looking to Donate
Do I qualify?
To qualify for the GSBA Scholarship & Education Fund, you must be a Washington State resident. But, you can pursue your education at any accredited college, university, or trade school across the United States—so go ahead and dream big!
You’re considered a Washington resident if:
- You’ve lived in Washington for at least three months before the application deadline.
- You’ve lived here for one year at any time in the past five years.
- You’ve lived in Washington for over a year and have been continuously enrolled in an accredited academic institution for the last five years.
While all students are encouraged to apply, we give preference to:
- LGBTQ+ students
- Members of LGBTQ+ families
- Cisgender/straight allies who have actively supported the LGBTQ+ community
Applicants must be pursuing a certificate program or undergraduate degree – Associate’s or Bachelor’s. We also offer a limited number of awards for Graduate Degrees.
How Does GSBA Choose Scholars??
Each year, the scholarship application opens on October 11th (National Coming Out Day) and must be submitted by January 10th by 5:00 pm PST. To stay up to date with scholarship news outside of that timeframe, please Join The Interest List .
Applicants chosen will interview with the selection committee annually on the first Saturday in April. A dedicated team of interviewers will then determine who will be honored with a GSBA Scholarship, and the whole cohort will be celebrated at GSBA’s annual Scholars Celebration.
GSBA Uses the following criteria to select scholars:
Academic & Career Goals
Does the applicant show clear academic strengths and passion for their studies?
What We Look For:
Academic aptitude and enthusiasm for educational goals.
Community Participation
Has the applicant engaged in their communities— LGBTQ+, and other racial, religious, or social groups?
What We Look For:
Active involvement in communities or clear aspirations if limited by circumstances.
Challenges
Has the applicant demonstrated an understanding of important issues in the LGBTQ+ community? How do they want to
actively contribute to combating it?
What We Look For:
Resilience in the face of challenges and personal growth.
Additional Barriers
Does the applicant identify as part of other marginalized communities, such as economically or racially disenfranchised groups, that may compound the barriers they face?
What We Look For:
Awareness and navigation of additional barriers due to multiple marginalized identities.
What's it like being a GSBA Scholar?
They’re More Than Rising LGBTQ+ Leaders
They’re diving into water science to become hydrologic technicians, training to soar as pilots, healing patients as future doctors and nurses, producing the next hit TV shows, and keeping the lights on as electricians.
No matter their age, gender, sexual orientation, race, or area of study, recipients of the Scholarship & Education Fund reflect the diverse careers that sustain and enrich our communities. Your support—through donations, volunteering, or spreading the word—brings them one step closer to changing the world.
Meet The Current Cohort
Donate Here
Wrap-around Services and Support
Community Engagement
GSBA offers scholars year-round opportunities to engage with the LGBTQ+ community. Scholars will have the chance to attend GSBA networking events, volunteer at community focused activations, and learn from peer mentors.
Leadership Academy
GSBA scholars have access to several leadership development workshops and scholar community building events. These range from large scale gatherings - Immersion Weekend - to smaller hands-on workshops led by GSBA members.
Emergency Support Fund
GSBA offers emergency financial aid to scholars in need. We'll help with surprise and emergency situations to keep you focused on academia.
GSBA Scholarship & Education Fund Impact
$0
million invested in LGBTQ+ and allied students since 1991.
0
scholars since 1991
0%
of GSBA Scholars have graduated (compared to 62% nationally)
0%
of Washington counties have GSBA scholar representation
0%
are first generation college students.
0%
are BIPOC in addition to LGBTQ+ identity
GSBA SCHOLARSHIP & Education Fund FAQ
Applying for scholarships can be confusing and time-consuming. If you don't see your question below, please reach out to scholarship@thegsba.org
Do I have to be a US citizen to apply?
No, GSBA doesn’t check citizenship status when reviewing applications.
Is there an age requirement?
There’s no age requirement or limitation.
What can I use my scholarship for?
You can apply your scholarship towards any educational expense that can be billed through your school: tuition, student fees, on-campus room & board, study abroad programs, books. Funds are sent directly to your school and credited to your student account. Funds cannot be sent directly to students.
How strict is the due date?
To be fair to applicants, we are very strict on the due date. We cannot accept late applications or materials under any circumstances. GSBA isn’t responsible for hardware malfunctions, bad internet connections, or other conditions which might prevent applicants submitting from an application on time.
I want to go to school outside of Washington. Can I still apply?
Yes, as long as the school is an accredited educational institution and you meet our residency requirements, you can attend school anywhere.
How much is the average award amount?
Awards range from $3,000 to $7,500, depending on the certificate or degree you are pursuing.
I have a disability and need assistance in completing this application.
Accommodations are available! Please contact Pride Foundation, our application partner – email or call 206-323-3318 or 800-735-7287.
Am I expected to write my application in English?
Arrangements outside of English are available! Please contact Pride Foundation – email or call 206-323-3318 or 800-735-7287.
I haven't been to school in several years. My transcript isn't electronic.
A scanned copy of your transcript works great! Students with narrative transcripts should only include the latest document.
Why are my essays cut off? I pasted more text than that into the application?
Each essay has a maximum character length of 3,000. The application will not accept characters over that limit, even if pasted from another source.
Do I have to finish it now, or can I come back to edit?
You may return to your application as many times as you like BEFORE the application deadline, the FIRST Friday in January. To be able to edit, you do need to leave the application in “draft form.” If you want to edit your application before deadline, and have already submitted your application, you do need to contact Pride Foundation via email or call 206-323-3318 -or- 800-735-7287, or Stacy at GSBA via email.
Why won't my application submit?
Any errors will be flagged in red when you go to submit. Correct the error(s) and re-submit. A confirmation text screen will appear and an email notification with additional information will be sent immediately upon successful submission of the application.
Did my application go through?
If your confirmation email does not arrive, check your junk-mail folder for the misplaced email. If necessary, make sure that you completed the submission steps. A final review of your application must be accepted by you before the submission is final. If neither option above corrects the problem, contact us to confirm your submission.
If I have questions, where do I go?
If you have specific questions about the GSBA Scholarship program, contact Stacy via email.
GSBA Scholarship and Education Fund Sponsors
Partners and Resources
In addition to applying for the GSBA Scholarship & Education Fund, take a moment to review the following resources:
Pride Foundation’s Scholarship – Apply Here
About Pride Foundation
Pride Foundation fuels transformational movements to advance equity and justice for LGBTQ+ people in all communities across the Northwest. Their work is grounded in the simple, yet revolutionary belief every person should be able to live safely, openly, and genuinely in all the places we call home. Pride Foundation was founded in 1985, in the midst of the HIV & AIDS crisis, by a small but courageous group of people who came together to create a source of light and hope during a period of profound darkness. Pride Foundation is the only LGBTQ+ community foundation serving the Northwest region of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington and has invested more than $70 million in transformative community change in pursuit of this vision.
Our Mission
To invest in the education of a diverse group of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and allied students who have the capacity and vision to be the next generation of leaders working to create a better world for all.
DONATE HERE
Other ways to get involved
When we unite our efforts, we can help the next generation of LGBTQ+ scholars and professionals chase their dreams. Dive in and discover how you can support GSBA’s Scholarship & Education Fund and Workforce Development Fund.
Learn More
Know Your Rights
Check out the GSBA Applicant Bill of Rights
View Here
Questions?
For any questions not covered here, you can reach out to scholarship@thegsba.org.
You can also find the FAQ PDF HERE
The GSBA Scholarship & Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) EIN: 94-3138514