March 18, 2015 STU

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Pride Scholarship Applications Available

The LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland is excited to once again announce the Pride Scholarship – an opportunity for LGBTQA+ students aged 17-25 to further their dreams.

Financing higher education can often be a challenge for LGBTQ+ youth, especially when families are not supportive. According to The 2013 National School Climate Survey conducted by the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), LGBT students who experienced discrimination are more than three times more likely to have missed school than those who did not. Additionally, LGBT students who experienced LGBT-related victimization are more than twice as likely to report not pursuing post-secondary plans? For some of these young people, the deck is stacked against them.

But there’s ways to help. Thanks to a generous fund established by a community member, The Center is able to offer a $500 scholarship to onestudent age 17-25 who is planning on attending post-secondary education. Students who identify as LGBTQ+, as well as allies, that are residents of Ohio are eligible to apply for this one-time scholarship to help pay for tuition, books, or other associated costs. You can apply online here, or by mail. To complete the application by mail, you’ll need the following:

Visit the Pride Scholarship page on our website to download the application:

-Submit one letter of recommendation from an adult professional (who is not a family member)
-Write a short, 3-5 paragraph essay on why they feel they are the best recipient, and how this scholarship can help them achieve their goals.

There are no restrictions on what type of post-secondary education this student is pursuing. It can be a university, technical school, art school, para-professional training, or community college. The scholarship recipient will be chosen by a committee based on the entirety of the application. Academic achievement is only one of the criteria considered so applicants with lower GPAs are encouraged to apply.

The deadline for submission is April 30 – all applications should be post marked by this date and mailed to:
The LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland
6600 Detroit Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44102

Please contact 216.397.1583 or csdi@jcu.edu if you have any questions.