32 Asian American Scholarships

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. It is a month to pay respect to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have propelled the United States forward in the past, the leaders who are striving to achieve more in the present, and the future generations to come who will do the same.

Each May national institutions, organizations, museums, and agencies pay homage to the work of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, we have put together a jam-packed scholarship list for Asian American and Pacific Islander students looking to maximize their financial aid for college.

Note: This article provides a basic description for each of the listed scholarships. Please see the scholarship provider’s website for full application and eligibility requirements. This is a list to help you get started. This list does not include all scholarships available for Asian American students.

Jump to this section

• General Scholarships for Asian Americans
• Journalism Scholarships for Asian Americans
• Art Scholarships for Asian Americans
• Law Scholarships for Asian Americans
• Teaching Scholarships for Asian Americans
• College-Specific Scholarships for Asian Americans
• California Scholarships for Asian Americans
• Other Scholarships for Asian Americans

General Scholarships for Asian Americans

The Gates Scholarship

Description: Each year, 300 top student leaders are awarded the Gates Scholarship. This is a very competitive scholarship for exceptional, Pell-eligible, minority, high school seniors. Applicants for this scholarship must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, have a minimum GPA of 3.3 (on a 4.0 scale), and plan to enroll full-time in a four-year degree program at an accredited U.S., not-for-profit, private or public college or university. Ideal candidates will have an outstanding academic record in high school, demonstrated leadership ability, and exceptional personal success skills.

Scholarship Amount: Full cost of attendance

Who Can Apply: High school seniors identifying as African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native*, Asian & Pacific Islander American, and/or Hispanic American

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Asian American Women's Alliance Scholarship

Description: The Asian American Women's Alliance (AAWA) was founded in 1996 for the purpose of supporting Asian American women professionally and personally. Every year, four $500 scholarships are offered to Asian American students.

Scholarship Amount: Up to $500

Who Can Apply: Asian American students enrolled in high school, college or graduate school

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

APIA Scholarship

Description: Founded in 2003 and having awarded over $150 million in scholarships to over 7,000 students to date, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) Scholars provides a variety of scholarships for APIA students. This generous scholarship is usually awarded to APIA students who live at or below the poverty level, are first-generation students, and have prioritized community service, leadership, and academic achievement.

Scholarship Amount: $2,500 - $20,000

Who Can Apply: Asian and/or Pacific Islander students enrolling as an undergraduate student in a U.S. accredited college or university in the fall

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Journalism Scholarships for Asian Americans

Facebook Journalism Project Scholarship

Description: Facebook offers this scholarship through the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA). To further encourage diversity in journalism, Facebook provided AAJA with $250,000 to award $50,000 in scholarships each year to students pursuing a degree in digital media/journalism/communications.

Scholarship Amount: $10,000

Who Can Apply: Enrolled juniors, seniors, or graduate students at accredited universities in the United States

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

CIC/Anna Chennault Scholarship

Description: Founder and Chairman of the Council of International Cooperation (CIC), Anne Chennault has devoted much of her career to international affairs. Specifically, the goal of the CIC is to promote better understanding between the United States, China, and Taiwan. This is no surprise, considering that CIC supports this initiative through scholarships, conferences, seminars, etc.

Scholarship Amount: $5,000

Who Can Apply: Graduating high school senior accepted into a U.S. college or currently enrolled college student

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Al Young Sports Journalism Scholarship

Description: A trailblazer for Asian Americans in sports journalism, Al Young was the nation's first Asian American sportswriter at a metro daily and the first Asian American to cover the NFL as a writer for the New York Giants and Jets. The AAJA Sports Task Force offers this scholarship in honor of Al Young's contributions as a pioneer to students continuing where Young left off.

Scholarship Amount: Up to $2,000

Who Can Apply: Undergraduate students enrolled full-time at junior colleges or universities in the United States AND taking or planning to take journalism courses and/or pursuing sports journalism as a career

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Art Scholarships for Asian Americans

Against The Grain Artistic Scholarship

Description: The Artistic Scholarship fund was established by Against The Grain Productions in 2010 to encourage and support Asian American students pursuing degrees in the visual/performing arts. Areas in the arts include film, theatre, fashion, photography, graphic design, dance, music, journalism, mass communications, etc.

Scholarship Amount: $1,000

Who Can Apply: Asian American college students pursuing a major in the performing, visual arts, journalism and/or mass communications

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

#LiveLikeLyly Memorial Scholarship

Description: The #LiveLikeLily Memorial Scholarship by Against The Grain Productions was created in 2015 after Lyly Koenig Mendez, a skilled graphic designer and fashion designer, passed away due to her battle with breast cancer. During her fight against the cancer, Lyly embodied what it meant to "Go Against The Grain." The purpose of this scholarship is to financially assist and promote Asian American college students pursuing a major in fashion and/or graphic design. Applicants must be of at least 25% Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity and U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Lastly, applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

Scholarship Amount: $1,000

Who Can Apply: High school seniors or college students who are Asian and/or Pacific Islander students pursuing a major in fashion or graphic design

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Law Scholarships for Asian Americans

AABA Law Foundation Scholarships

Description: The Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area (AABA) and the AABA Law Foundation offers scholarships to law students who are dedicated to advocating on behalf of and making improvements within their communities. All current law students are eligible to apply, but preference is given to first and second-year law students at a San Francisco Bay Area school (Stanford University, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Hastings, University of San Francisco, Golden Gate University, Santa Clara University, or McGeorge School of Law). Community service or public interest work for the Asian Pacific American (APA) community or other underrepresented communities, leadership in the APA community, financial need, and commitment to the Bay Area are significant factors for being selected for a scholarship.

Scholarship Amount: $5,000

Who Can Apply: Law students who are committed to community service or public interest work for the Asian Pacific American (APA) community and the Bay Area

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Ralph Johnson Bunche Distinguished Graduate Award

Description: The first African American to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Ralph Johnson Bunche has a fellowship at Rutgers University, where he earned a doctorate in 1949 for his success as an American diplomat. For new, full-time graduate students at Rutgers Law School, this scholarship awards who have faced extreme cultural or educational disadvantages.

Scholarship Amount: $15,000 plus tuition remission

Who Can Apply: Graduate students

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Teaching Scholarships for Asian Americans

Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program

Description: The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) provides the MTI Scholarship Program for minority students who are residents of Illinois and want to teach in the state after graduating from an Illinois institution of higher education. Program funds may be used for tuition, fees and room board, or commuter allowances, and this scholarship can be received for four academic years of full-time enrollment. Teaching in Illinois is a requirement of this scholarship.

Scholarship Amount: Up to $5,000 per year

Who Can Apply: African American/Black, Hispanic American, Asian American or Native American students who are residents of Illinois and desire to teach in Illinois after graduating from college

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Minority Teacher Education Scholarship

Description: The Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc. (FFMT) is all about paying it forward for minority teachers who teach in Florida public schools in exchange for receiving the scholarship. Receiving this scholarship for one year turns into teaching in a Florida public school for one year. This is an interesting opportunity for future teachers within the Florida public school system.

Scholarship Amount: $4,000

Who Can Apply: Florida residents who are college juniors, seniors, and graduate students at one of FFMT's participating colleges/universities; members of one of the following groups: African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American/Pacific Islander, or American Indian/Alaskan Native

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

College-Specific Scholarships for Asian Americans

AANAPISI Scholarship

Description: Awarded by Asian and Pacific Islander Americans Scholars (AIPA), the Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) Scholarship Program is available to students who are attending APIA Scholars AANAPISI partner schools. Scholarships are typically awarded to low-income, first-generation students exhibiting leadership in academics and their respective communities.

Scholarship Amount: $2,500 - $5,000

Who Can Apply: Asian and/or Pacific Islander students without a bachelor's degree enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program at an AANAPISI school

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Li Ching Graduate Award

Description: The Li-Ching Fellowship Fund is a departmental scholarship offered by the College of Arts and Sciences, Center for Asian Studies at the University of South Carolina.

Scholarship Amount: Varies

Who Can Apply: Students majoring in Asian studies at the University of South Carolina

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Diversity Scholars Scholarship

Description: The Diversity Scholars Scholarship is offered by the Diversity Scholars Program at the University of Idaho. Students who are interested in these scholarships do not have to complete a separate application in order to apply. As long as students complete the FAFSA by a given date, students are automatically considered for the scholarship. Preference is given to students with financial need and a strong academic history.

Scholarship Amount: Varies

Who Can Apply: New and returning students at the University of Idaho

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Niermeyer Foundation Scholarship

Description: The Niermeyer Foundation Scholarship offers financial assistance to students with financial need and a strong academic background. This scholarship is specifically for African-American and Asian-American students at Binghamton University.

Scholarship Amount: Varies

Who Can Apply: African-American and Asian-American students attending Binghamton University

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Quezon Fellowship

Description: Located in Massachusetts, the Fletcher School - Tufts University is the United States' oldest graduate school dedicated to international affairs. The Quezon Fellowship is an endowed fund that supports Fletcher students from the Philippines or other ASEAN countries, or students from other world regions interesting in studying the East Asian and Pacific region.

Scholarship Amount: Varies

Who Can Apply: International graduate students looking to study the East Asian and Pacific region

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Rashad G. Richardson "I Can Achieve" Memorial Scholarship

Description: It is not that common to have scholarships available that do not consider financial need, but the Rashad G. Richardson "I Can Achieve" Memorial Scholarship is one of those scholarships. This scholarship is open to high-achieving students from the African-American, Latino, Asian, or Native American (ALANA) communities who are involved in improving the quality of life of ALANA youth in Tompkins County, New York State.

Scholarship Amount: Varies

Who Can Apply: Undergraduate sophomores, juniors, and seniors at Ithaca College in New York State

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Leeward CC Pacific Islander Grant

Description: The Leeward CC Pacific Islander Grant is for students at the community college in Honolulu, Hawaii, who are citizens of an eligible Pacific Island and working on their first degree. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.0, demonstrate financial need, and enroll in at least 6 credits.

Scholarship Amount: Varies

Who Can Apply: Undergraduate freshmen and sophomores at Leeward Community College in Honolulu, Hawaii

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

The William Randolph Hearst Foundation Endowed Scholarship

Description: The William Randolph Hearst Foundation Endowed Scholarship is for full-time minority undergraduates with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Students, domestic or international, who have taken and completed at least 45 credit hours at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) may apply for this scholarship.

Scholarship Amount: Varies

Who Can Apply: Undergraduate minority students at SCAD with at least 45 credit hours completed at the college

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Diversity Advancement Program Scholarship

Description: The Diversity Advancement Program Scholarship is for prospective, exceptional graduate students from underrepresented populations at Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.

Scholarship Amount: $15,000 plus tuition remission

Who Can Apply: Graduate students

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Arrupe Scholarship

Description: The Arrupe Scholarship is a scholarship available to students at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. This scholarship is a merit-based, partial-tuition scholarship for students of color with a strong academic record, a minimum SAT score of 1080 or ACT composite of 21, and a 2.95 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale.

Scholarship Amount: Varies

Who Can Apply: Incoming freshmen

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

George Washington Carver National Scholarship

Description: The George Washington Carver National Scholarship was established in honor of George Washington Carver who was a student at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. Scholarship recipients can have this scholarship renewed by maintaining a GPA of at least 2.25 and completing 61 hours of course work.

Scholarship Amount: $22,000 - 75% of tuition

Who Can Apply: Freshmen and transfer students from diverse and distinctive backgrounds

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

California Scholarships for Asian Americans

Central California Asian Pacific Women (CCAPW)

Description: Central California Asian Pacific Women (CCAPW) has been empowering generations of API women in the Central Valley of California since 1980. Applicants should demonstrate leadership, academic achievement, and commitment to the API community. Also, being a first-generation student is a plus. Applicants must be entering college or continuing in a college program at a post-secondary institution (i.e. college, university, vocational programs, trade school, etc.).

Scholarship Amount: Varies

Who Can Apply: Asian and Pacific Islander (API) women originally from these California counties: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

San Diego Chinese Women's Association Scholarships

Description: The San Diego Chinese Women's Association (SDCWA) awards two types of scholarships every year to students of Chinese descent who attend high schools in San Diego County. One is for students going to a four-year university, and the other is for students going to a two-year community college or vocational program. Students must be of at least one-quarter Chinese descent.

Scholarship Amount: $1,000 or $1,500

Who Can Apply: Students of Chinese descent attending a high school in San Diego County

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Chi Am Circle

Description: Established in 1965, the Chi Am Circle Club is based in Santa Clara County, California. Chi Am Circle Club offers merit based scholarships, as well as scholarships based on financial need. Extracurricular activities will be considered as well.

Scholarship Amount: $1,000 to $5,000

Who Can Apply: High school seniors of Asian descent attending a high school in Santa Clara County, California

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Other Scholarships for Asian Americans

Asian-American Architects and Engineers Association Scholarship

Description: Started in 2004, the Asian American Architects and Engineers (AAa/e) Foundation is a nonprofit committed to providing scholarships and opportunities to students pursuing careers in architecture, engineering, or construction.

Scholarship Amount: $5,000

Who Can Apply: High school, undergraduate, or graduate students attending a U.S. school, college, or university, working towards a degree in architecture, engineering, or construction, and demonstrating involvement and/or service to the Asian/Pacific Islander community

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Annual Asian Heritage High School Scholarship

Description: In an effort to encourage more Asian Americans to pursue a degree that will help them give back to the Asian community, Gabriel Cheong, with Infinity Law Group LLC, offers an annual scholarship specifically for high school seniors in Boston. On top of the application form, applicants will have to write a one to three page typed essay.

Scholarship Amount: $1,000

Who Can Apply: High school seniors in Boston who will be attending an accredited four-year college/university

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

AICPA Scholarship Award for Minority Accounting Students

Description: The AICPA Scholarship Award for Minority Accounting Students supports full-time minority students pursuing a degree in accounting or an accounting-related major. This scholarship is available for undergraduate and graduate students. U.S. citizenship or permanent residency AND a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) are required.

Scholarship Amount: $3,000 - $5,000

Who Can Apply: Full-time minority undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a degree in accounting or an accounting-related major

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Spectrum Scholarship Program

Description: The American Library Association (ALA) offers the Spectrum Scholarship Program to students to attend an ALA-accredited graduate program in library and information studies or an AASL-recognized School Library Media Program. Citizenship or permanent residency of the U.S. or Canada is required. Students may be enrolled full-time or part-time for this scholarship; however, students must maintain a minimum course load of two classes per semester while on scholarship.

Scholarship Amount: $5,000

Who Can Apply: Students who identify as American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern/North African, and/or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander AND attend an ALA-accredited graduate program in library and information studies or an AASL-recognized School Library Media Program

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

Kansas Ethnic Minority Scholarship

Description: Students who are members of any of the following ethnic/racial groups are encouraged to apply for the Kansas Ethnic Minority Scholarship: African American, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic. The purpose of the Kansas Ethnic Minority Scholarship is to assist academically competitive students in Kansas planning to enroll at a Kansas college or university. Financial need is a major component in determining scholarship recipients.

Scholarship Amount: Up to $1,850 annually

Who Can Apply: Kansas students graduating from high school and enrolling at a Kansas college or university

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

The Asian-American Foundation of Oregon (AAFO) Scholarship

Description: Scholarship grants from the Asian American Foundation of Oregon are for Oregon residents who have demonstrated interest in Asian American cultural studies. Volunteer work for AAFO/Asian celebrations, Asian performance activities, student organization Asian American cultural activities, and other Asian-American public cultural activities count as demonstrated interest and effort in Asian American cultural activities. Scholarship recipients must be Oregon residents, but students may attend universities outside of Oregon.

Scholarship Amount: Varies

Who Can Apply: Graduating seniors or undergraduate students who are a U.S. citizens and Oregon residents, and who have demonstrated interest and effort in Asian-American cultural activities

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

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