Asian Scholarships

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How to Fund Your College Education with Asian American Scholarships? 

College scholarships for Asian Americans may be a great source of financial aid. Asian American students may use the funds at community college or at an accredited four year college or graduate school. Since you typically don’t have to repay the funds, they make higher education easier to afford.

According to the NCES, there were 16.6 million undergraduate students in the academic year 2018 to 2019. Only 647,000 were of Asian heritage. Many colleges and organizations also see the need for diversification. They offer Asian awards to meet the growing demand. Some are for all minority students. But others offer financial assistance specifically to Asians.

Eligible Asian students may qualify based on ethnicity. But many providers expect you to be a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident. You may qualify if you identify with one of these Asian ethnic minority groups:  

  • Chinese
  • Filipino
  • Indian
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Pacific Islander
  • Taiwanese
  • Thai
  • Vietnamese

Also, you may need to file a FAFSA to show unmet financial need. You may need a certain GPA to meet eligibility. When filling out your scholarship application, you may also submit these following items:

  • Letters of recommendation
  • List of academic achievements (awards, honors)
  • SAT or ACT test scores
  • Extracurricular activities (leadership, community service)

The William Orr Dingwall Foundation offers the Korean Ancestry Grants. Each grant is worth up to $10,000. It is also open to students already pursuing a four year degree. If you’re a high school senior or college freshmen, check out the Taiwanese American Scholarship Fund. You must be Taiwanese descent and have at least a 3.0 GPA. Each award is worth up to $5,000. 

10 Scholarships for Asian Students You Should Apply for in 2024

Start applying with these 10 scholarships for Asian students below. Try to submit your application before the deadline.  

  1. CAMS Scholarship
  2. Banatao Filipino American Education Fund Scholarships
  3. InspirAsian Scholarship 
  4. Asian American Architects and Engineers Foundation Scholarship
  5. Matt Fong Asian Americans in Public Finance Scholarship
  6. Eugene and Thora Chin Scholarship Fund 
  7. NAPABA Legal Foundation Scholarship
  8. Pinay Aspire Scholarships 
  9. Dr. George Goro and Nettie Muramoto Memorial Scholarship
  10. JACL Law Scholarship Program

What Organizations Help Asian Americans Pay for College?

The Asian American community gets support from several nonprofits. Some of them offer annual scholarship opportunities. So even if you miss a deadline, you could apply again next year. 

1. The APIA Scholars, formerly APIASF. They focus on underserved students and the first in their family to go to college. The APIA scholarships range from $2,500 to $20,000 awards.

2. The Asian Pacific Fund. They run about 10 scholarship programs. These could be for graduating high school seniors with one exception. The Hsiao Memorial Social Sciences Scholarship. It is for graduate students. 

3. Korean American Scholarship Foundation. KASF offers $500 to $5,000 awards. To qualify, you must be a full time Korean American student at an accredited college. If so, you may apply to one of 4 regional chapters.

What Asian American Scholarships are Available by Major? 

Scholarships for Asian Americans help college students earn degrees in a variety of majors. There are also plenty of awards for fields in STEM, healthcare, and business. Are you majoring in architecture, construction, or engineering? Check out the Asian American Architects and Engineers Foundation. The award offers $5,000 to AAAe members. 

If you are a minority student studying accounting, AICPA has a scholarship worth $3,000 to $5,000. You must be pursuing an undergrad or graduate accounting degree. You also must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and be a U.S. citizen. Asian students may also find art awards. The Artistic Scholarship is from Against the Grain. It supports Asian and Pacific Islander students with a $1,000 award. To apply you must be a performing or visual arts major.

Are There Scholarships for First Generation Asian Students?

Yes, there are Asian scholarships for students who are the first in their family to go to college. These tend to be for students who may have immigrant parents. The U.S. Department of Education also offers the Pell grant for those who qualify. 

For example, Sessions College for Professional Design is one source. They offer four First Generation Student Scholarships. Two awards are for graphic design and another two are for web design. Another option is to look into nonprofits like the Asian Pacific Fund. They offer the Frederick and Demi Seguritan Scholarship. It is a $5,000 award for first generation Asians (i.e. immigrants). You also must live in certain California counties. 

List of 2024 Asian American Scholarships

Check out our list of 9,116 Asian American and Pacific Islander student scholarships worth $58M.

Taiwanese American Scholarship Fund (TASF) Program

Established in 2014, the Taiwanese American Scholarship Fund (TASF) focuses on providing financial assistance to economically-challenged Taiwanese American youth. Our mission is to assist all Taiwanese American youth to have the opportunity to pursue higher education and build the foundation for a better future. To ensure the success of the Taiwanese American Scholarship Fund (TASF) program, we partnered with the nonprofit Asian Pacific Community Fund (APCF), to conducted extensive outreach throughout the United States – reaching over 2,250 interested contacts, including 1,975 high school and university counselors/faculty, 18 scholarship clearinghouses, over 100 tutoring centers, 16 community and faith-based organizations, and over 120 Taiwanese American affiliated associations nationwide in addition to 12 Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECO) located throughout the U.S., as well as the U.S. Overseas Community Affair Council (OCAC), to make this scholarship opportunity available to economically-challenged Taiwanese American students who will be attending their first or second year of college in the fall of 2024. The response was overwhelming, with applicants from 33 states across the nation. (see map below)
Award Amount

Total: $75000

Awards: 10

Deadline

Deadline: April 15, 2024

Bank of the Sierra Scholarship

APCF was founded in 1990 by API community leaders in response to the need for alternative funding for Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations serving API communities.Since 2011, APCF has partnered with donors such as local companies and family foundations to offer scholarship programs to financially assist students in their pursuit of higher education. All of the scholarships have an online application and recommender form that can only be found on our site. The online applications can be found at https://www.apcf.org/scholarships Application requires student to list out community service activities, disclose some family financial information, and answer 2-500 word essay prompts.
Award Amount

Total: $28000

Awards: 14

Deadline

Deadline: April 15, 2024

Cathay Bank Foundation Scholarship

APCF was founded in 1990 by API community leaders in response to the need for alternative funding for Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations serving API communities. Since 2011, APCF has partnered with donors such as local companies and family foundations to offer scholarship programs to financially assist students in their pursuit of higher education.
Award Amount

Total: $20000

Awards: 20

Deadline

Deadline: April 15, 2024

First General Bank Scholarship

APCF was founded in 1990 by API community leaders in response to the need for alternative funding for Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations serving API communities. Since 2011, APCF has partnered with donors such as local companies and family foundations to offer scholarship programs to financially assist students in their pursuit of higher education. All of the scholarships have an online application and recommender form that can only be found on our site. The online applications can be found at https://www.apcf.org/scholarships Application requires student to list out community service activities, disclose some family financial information, and answer 2-500 word essay prompts. The applicant must share the recommender form link with their preferred advisor for submission.
Award Amount

Total: $8000

Awards: 4

Deadline

Deadline: April 15, 2024

Harold J West Scholarship

APCF was founded in 1990 by API community leaders in response to the need for alternative funding for Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations serving API communities. Since 2011, APCF has partnered with donors such as local companies and family foundations to offer scholarship programs to financially assist students in their pursuit of higher education. All of the scholarships have an online application. The online applications can be found at https://www.apcf.org/scholarships Application requires student to list out community service activities, disclose some family financial information, and answer 5-350 word essay prompts.
Award Amount

Total: $2500

Awards: 1

Deadline

Deadline: April 15, 2024

Mega Bank Scholarship

APCF was founded in 1990 by API community leaders in response to the need for alternative funding for Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations serving API communities. Since 2011, APCF has partnered with donors such as local companies and family foundations to offer scholarship programs to financially assist students in their pursuit of higher education. All of the scholarships have an online application and recommender form that can only be found on our site. The online applications can be found at https://www.apcf.org/scholarships Application requires student to list out community service activities, disclose some family financial information, and answer 2-500 word essay prompts. The applicant must share the recommender form link with their preferred advisor for submission.
Award Amount

Total: $5000

Awards: 5

Deadline

Deadline: April 15, 2024

Preferred Bank Scholarship

APCF was founded in 1990 by API community leaders in response to the need for alternative funding for Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations serving API communities. Since 2011, APCF has partnered with donors such as local companies and family foundations to offer scholarship programs to financially assist students in their pursuit of higher education. All of the scholarships have an online application and recommender form that can only be found on our site. The online applications can be found at https://www.apcf.org/scholarships Application requires student to list out community service activities, disclose some family financial information, and answer 2-500 word essay prompts. The applicant must share the recommender form link with their preferred advisor for submission.
Award Amount

Total: $16000

Awards: 8

Deadline

Deadline: April 15, 2024

State Bank of India (California) Scholarship

APCF was founded in 1990 by API community leaders in response to the need for alternative funding for Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations serving API communities. Since 2011, APCF has partnered with donors such as local companies and family foundations to offer scholarship programs to financially assist students in their pursuit of higher education. All of the scholarships have an online application and recommender form that can only be found on our site. The online applications can be found at https://www.apcf.org/scholarships Application requires student to list out community service activities, disclose some family financial information, and answer 2-500 word essay prompts. The applicant must share the recommender form link with their preferred advisor for submission.
Award Amount

Total: $10000

Awards: 10

Deadline

Deadline: April 15, 2024

Royal Business Bank Scholarship

APCF was founded in 1990 by AAPI community leaders in response to the need for alternative funding for Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations serving AAPI communities. Prior to its incorporation, less than 0.3% of all local foundation funds went to AAPI agencies, according to a 1988 study by AAPI Equality Alliance (formerly known as A3PCON – Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council). In 1986, the United Way of Greater Los Angeles funded only five organizations serving AAPIs. To raise funds for community organizations serving AAPI communities, APCF initiated employee giving campaigns at various workplaces, including private companies, federal agencies, state agencies, county agencies, city agencies, and nonprofit organizations. In the past decade, APCF has diversified its fundraising efforts by developing other avenues for giving. With the growth of donor-advised funds, giving circles, grant making, scholarship funds, and capacity building initiatives, APCF has been able to cultivate philanthropy among AAPIs while providing multiple vehicles for donors to support the community.
Award Amount

Total: $4000

Awards: 4

Deadline

Deadline: April 15, 2024

Open Bank Scholarship

APCF was founded in 1990 by AAPI community leaders in response to the need for alternative funding for Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations serving AAPI communities. Prior to its incorporation, less than 0.3% of all local foundation funds went to AAPI agencies, according to a 1988 study by AAPI Equality Alliance (formerly known as A3PCON – Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council). In 1986, the United Way of Greater Los Angeles funded only five organizations serving AAPIs. To raise funds for community organizations serving AAPI communities, APCF initiated employee giving campaigns at various workplaces, including private companies, federal agencies, state agencies, county agencies, city agencies, and nonprofit organizations. In the past decade, APCF has diversified its fundraising efforts by developing other avenues for giving. With the growth of donor-advised funds, giving circles, grant making, scholarship funds, and capacity building initiatives, APCF has been able to cultivate philanthropy among AAPIs while providing multiple vehicles for donors to support the community.
Award Amount

Total: $20000

Awards: 20

Deadline

Deadline: April 15, 2024