College Funding is not that Elusive
The Asian American population is one of the fastest growing sectors of our population. Currently, Asian Americans account for around 5% of the population. And Asian American students boast the best college retention rates.
In light of this rapid population growth, as well as the interests of fair opportunities, many organizations want to offer scholarships and bursaries to Asian American students.
Winning Asian-American Student Scholarships
Most of the following scholarships are relevant for students with the following attributes: specifically from an Asian background, U.S. citizens, enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited college or university within the U.S., with good academic records and/or demonstrated financial need, and involvement in community organizations and activities.
Asian-Americans are most likely identify with one of the following communities:
- Asian Indian
- Bangladeshi
- Burmese
- Cambodian
- Chinese
- Filipino
- Guamanian/Chamorro
- Hmong
- Indo Chinese
- Indonesian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Laotian
- Malaysian
- Maori
- Marshallese
- Micronesian
- Native Hawaiian
- Nepalese
- Okinawan
- Pakistani
- Palauan
- Samoan
- Tahitian
- Taiwanese
- Thai
- Tongan
- Vietnamese
- Yapese
Asian American Organizations: Rich Scholarship Sources
The U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC) aims to increase Asian American representation in universities. The USPAACC has been providing financial assistance to Asian American students since 1989. Generous donors include corporate sponsors such as McDonald’s, CBC, Pepsi, and FedEx. The scholarships invite diversity and supply a variety of funding opportunities. The Pan-Asian scholarships may be used for any type of educational institution:
- The Bruce Lee Scholarship challenges students to craft a creative essay that illustrates the adversities they have had to overcome in their own lives.
- The Jackie Chan Scholarship also engages students in essay writing; this time an expose on their particular talents and how they plan to use them for good.
- The Telamon Scholarship offers $3,500 to an applicant of Asian heritage actively involved in community service with a marked record of academic excellence.
Founded in 2003, the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) is financed by some of the biggest corporations in America. The APIASF gives generously to Asian Americans students seeking financial help for college. In 2006 the APIASF provided scholarships to students representing 46 U.S States. Roughly 70% of these scholarships are regularly awarded to women.
Where to Find Funding at Colleges and Universities
Across America there are many universities and colleges that offer opportunities specifically for students with an Asian heritage. Here are a symbolic few:
- Boston College has an Asian American scholarship, which has been offered since 1995. Qualified applicants must be full-time BC juniors with a GPA of 3.3 and above, and with an active community service record.
- University of California-Berkeley's Boalt Hall has some prestigious law scholarships available to Asian American students.
Subject-Specific Scholarships for Asian American Students
- The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) scholarships have given more than a million dollars to over 500 aspiring Asian American student-journalists. They aim to increase Asian American representation in the media on a broad scale and include Vietnamese, Cambodian, Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders among candidate pools. Scholarships range from $1,000 to $5,000. These are competitive and based on academic excellence.
- The Asian American Bar Association offers generous scholarships, of particular interest to Law students. You will need to submit a statement regarding your involvement with the Asian/Pacific Islander community, experiences which have shaped your commitment to this community and your experiences in overcoming economic/discriminatory barriers.
- For students of Asian/Pacific Islander heritage who aspire to careers as librarians - theAsian Pacific American Librarians Association provides a $1000 scholarship.
Offline Resources
Scholarships for Asian American Students , published by Peterson's Guides, is a comprehensive paperback that lists scholarships, grants, bursaries and forgivable loans for Asian Americans. Get it cheaper when you buy a second-hand version from Amazon-- just a few bucks.
These examples are only the tip of the iceberg. Use your field of study to pinpoint relevant scholarships and narrow down your search even further. Use this list as a starting point and good luck!
