As a scholarship expert, I’m often asked about scholarships related to race, ethnicity, and heritage. It’s always smart for a scholarship seeker to include their heritage as a possible search category. Private companies, organizations, and foundations craft scholarship opportunities that honor or celebrate race, ethnicity, and heritage that align with corporate missions to increase diversity and opportunity in education and the workforce. In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, here’s a spotlight on some Asian American and Pacific Islander scholarship opportunities as well as three steps to approach searching for scholarships that align with your heritage.
Scholarship action steps for AAPI students
As mentioned before, heritage should absolutely be a search category for Asian American and Pacific Islander students when conducting their scholarship search process. Here are three key steps to follow.
Step 1: Use national scholarship search engines
Most scholarship search engines, such as CollegeXpress's Scholarship Search tool, enable students to find and filter opportunities that align with their heritage. It will require completing an account or profile before conducting your search, which can take some time on the front end but can save tremendous time in the long run. Check out online resources and create profiles for scholarship searching sooner rather than later.
Step 2: Research foundations related to your heritage
Many local, regional, national, and international foundations that support individuals of a specific heritage will offer scholarships. And most foundations offer multiple opportunities, so they can be a goldmine of potential scholarships. Key-word search examples include:
- Pacific Islander + Organization + Scholarship
- Asian American + Foundation + Scholarship
Including the year will also assist you in finding opportunities that are current. Two examples for Asian American students include the NAPABA Law Foundation and APIA Scholars. I highly recommend emailing these foundations to inquire about additional opportunities, as they’re generally connected to multiple organizations and can help streamline research time.
Step 3: Expand your search with additional keywords
Many scholarship seekers make the mistake of limiting their search to opportunities that align with them too specifically, such as “Chinese American Scholarship.” Always expand your search with larger categories of scholarships, such as “Asian American Scholarship,” “Diversity Scholarship,” and “Minority Scholarship.” Expanding your search categories always equates with an expansion of possibilities.
Related: Why the Scholarship Search Matters, Plus Quick Tips and Tricks
Scholarship opportunities for AAPI students
The following are examples of scholarships open and available to students who identify as Asian American and/or Pacific Islander as well as other students of diverse backgrounds who champion the AAPI community.
ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund
The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund is open to first-year law students who are Black/African American, Native American, Hispanic American, or Asian/Pacific Islander. It’s sponsored by the American Bar Association with an award of $15,000 and has a deadline that falls in April yearly.
AANAPISI Scholarship
The Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) Scholarship is open to students of Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity as defined by the US census. Applicants must be the first in their family to attend college, demonstrate financial need, and be enrolled as a full-time student at an APIA Scholars AANAPISI partner college. Opportunities range from one-time awards of $2,500 to multi-year $10,000 scholarships. The deadline for this opportunity falls in January each year.
APIA Scholarship Program
The APIA Scholarship Program is open to students enrolling as undergraduates at accredited colleges and universities in the US with a minimum GPA of 2.7. Applicants must be of Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity as defined by the US Census and a citizen or national/legal permanent resident of the US. Citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau are also eligible to apply. Multiple awards of up to $20,000 are offered, with an annual deadline in January. (You can apply for the AANAPISI and APIA Scholarships using the same application!)
Korean American Scholarship Foundation Scholarships
The Korean American Scholarship Foundation offers awards for both Korean American students and international students from Korea. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in the US during the scholarship application year. Awards range from $500–$5,000 for high schoolers with special talents as well as college, graduate, and professional school students. Non-Korean students in certain regions may also qualify for scholarships if extra funds are available (specifically, descendants of American veterans who served during the Korean War).
NAPABA Law Foundation Scholarships
The NAPABA Law Foundation offers several scholarship opportunities for students pursuing Law degrees who are committed and interested in serving the Asian Pacific American community; however, you do not need to be Asian American or Pacific Islander to apply. Multiple awards up to $7,500 are available with deadlines throughout the year. Several of the scholarships offered by the foundation use one combined application to expedite the process for applicants.
Ukulele Festival Hawaii Scholarship Program
The Ukulele Festival Hawaii Scholarship Program seeks to build public awareness and interest in the instrument with an annual college scholarship for graduating high school seniors. Applicants must be residents of Hawai'i with a passion for ukulele as well as good character and a history of meaningful community service. The annual $2,000 scholarship has a deadline of April 30.
Lily Pabilona Emerging Entrepreneur Scholarship
The Lily Pabilona Emerging Entrepreneur Scholarship is offered to Asian American and Pacific Islander high school seniors and undergraduate or graduate students who have a minimum 3.0 GPA, demonstrate leadership abilities, and are pursuing entrepreneurship (though all majors are eligible to apply). Applicants must be at least 25% Asian or Pacific Islander as well as US citizens or legal permanent residents. Awards of up to $5,000 are available, with an annual deadline of May 31.
Ambassadors of Aloha Scholarships and The Duke Award
High school seniors and full-time undergraduate students from Hawai‘i with financial need are eligible for Ambassadors of Aloha Scholarships sponsored by the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation. Applicants should demonstrate the spirit of aloha through leadership and community involvement and participate in canoeing, surfing, kayaking, swimming, diving, water polo, sailing, or volleyball, with a record of accomplishments and an intention to compete in college. Awards go up to $3,500 with an annual March deadline. The Foundation also offers The Duke Award, a one-time scholarship of up to $15,000 that's given to one outstanding high school senior who exemplifies the character and personality traits of Duke Kahanamoku. These scholars fulfill the Ambassador of Aloha Scholarship requirements at the highest level and must be nominated by a school or athletic official.
Related: Scholarship FAQ: Expert Advice to Start Your Search With Confidence
Remember: Race, ethnicity, and heritage are only one collective category of many that scholarship seekers can and should pursue. Be sure to include it among your search categories, but don't make it your only search category. Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!
Celebrate AAPI heritage further by checking out these 6 Great Colleges for Asian and Pacific Islander Students.
