Gamma Mu Foundation Scholarship
Please note that effective January 2014 the Gamma Mu Foundation will be only accepting
grants and scholarships applications online.
The Gamma Mu Scholarships Program provides support to gay men who want to further
their education at a college, university, or vocational or professional training program.
In addition, effective 2016, the Gamma Mu Scholarship Program will award two scholarships
annually (“The Folisi & Goodwin Scholarship in Memory of Ray Williams” and "The Phil
Papel Memorial Scholarship" to two students from the broader LGBT community. These
programs support a wide range of educational options, including vocational and technical
training, associate, bachelors and graduate degrees. The Foundation will not fund
online education degree programs. Scholarships are offered for full-time study beginning
at an accredited institution or program of the student's choice. Interested students
must complete and submit the online application by March 31. We strongly urge students
to also review the tab on this web site labeled "Scholarship FAQ's."
MISSION STATEMENT
"The Gamma Mu Foundation is a non-profit charitable foundation that seeks to make
a positive difference in the lives of the LGBT community, primarily in rural and underserved
populations of the United States."
Eligibility
Scholarships are awarded based upon financial need and the desire to pursue additional
training through academic or vocational endeavors. The applicant must be a gay man
(with the exception of the “Folisi & Goodwin Scholarship In Memory of Ray Williams”
and the "Phil Papel Memorial Scholarship" which will be awarded to two LGBT students)
under 35 years of age, have completed high school (or GED) by June of the current
year, and be a U.S. citizen. Preference is given to 1) students who have come from
an underserved area; 2) students who have overcome issues of discrimination and/or
marginalization within their community; 3) students who demonstrate leadership qualities
and pursue goals to benefit the LGBT community; and 4) students who demonstrate a
strong academic performance. All of these key factors are taken into consideration
in evaluating scholarship applications. To qualify for a scholarship, students must:
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Submit a completed application online no later than March 31.
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Have completed high school or the GED by June of the application year.
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Be admitted to an accredited college, university, or vocational institution for fall
of the current year or spring of the following year.
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Be a citizen of the United States.
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Be a gay male (or LGBT student for the “Folisi & Goodwin Scholarship" and the "Phil
Papel Memorial Scholarship") under 35 years of age at time of application.
NOTE: The Foundation has received several inquiries regarding the age limit. We understand
that there are many who seek education later in life, and that the problem may be
exacerbated for those students in rural and/or underserved areas. Quite often the
discrimination and marginalization endured in these areas results in individuals not
being able to earn a college degree in their early 20's. However, the main mission
of our Program is to target young people who are just starting out in life and have
no previous work history, income, or resources to help finance higher education.
Payment of Scholarship Awards
Historically, scholarship recipients have received an award of between $1,000 and
$2,500 to use during the following year of under- or post-graduate study or in the
vocational program in which he is enrolled. Payment is made in one installment after
July 15th for colleges and universities, and subject to the program requirements for
vocational and other professional training programs. Checks are made payable to the
particular institution for benefit of the recipient.
Awards are for one year only. Students must submit applications each year for consideration
for funding the following academic year. There are no multi-year scholarships.
Use of Scholarship
Scholarships may be used to defray tuition, books and fees or other college-related
costs at an accredited college, university, vocational or professional school. All
funds will be issued to the institution. The scholarship must be used during the fall
and/or spring term following the awarding of the scholarship. No continued scholarship
support for the student is implied or stated beyond the granting of a single award.
Application
Online applications will be accepted from March 1 through March 31. Online applications
will be accepted from March 15 through March 31 for the Folisi and Papel scholarships.
The online application must be completed by March 31 and applicants will receive acknowledgement
of application receipt via email. Applications are evaluated on the information supplied;
therefore, please answer all questions as completely as possible. Incomplete applications
will not be evaluated. All information received is considered confidential and becomes
the property of the Gamma Mu Foundation.
Applications will be evaluated using the following criteria:
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Financial Need
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Demonstrated community involvement
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Extracurricular involvement
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Experience overcoming discrimination and/or marginalization
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Work/academic achievement
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Educational and career goals
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Involvement in the LGBTQ community
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Leadership in promoting diversity and tolerance
Selection of Recipients
Selection of recipients is made by the Gamma Mu Foundation Board of Directors. All
applicants agree to accept the decision of the Gamma Mu Foundation as final. Applicants
will be notified by May 31 of the Foundation's decision.
Obligations and Revisions
Scholarship recipients have no obligation to the Gamma Mu Foundation. They are, however,
required to supply the Gamma Mu Foundation with complete transcripts when requested
and to notify the Foundation of any changes of address, school enrollment, or other
relevant information. If awarded a scholarship, we request that the student supply
us with a photo to publish in our Annual Report and agree to have their name listed
in Foundation news publications.
For additional information please contact the Scholarships Director by email at: scholarships@gammamufoundation.org.
*For more current information, please click the following link below:
Gamma Mu Foundation
