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 Asian American and Pacific Islander student scholarships worth .

UNCF Northwest Indiana Scholarship

Indiana high school seniors or older who have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher are eligible for this award. Students must be minority students enrolled or planning to enroll in a four-year college or university and be residents of Lake, LaPorte, or Porter counties.
Award Amount

Total: $5000

Awards: 5

Deadline

Deadline: May 10

ASHFoundation Graduate Scholarship for Minority Students

This scholarship is available for minority students who are majoring in communication science and/or communication disorders. Applicants must be accepted to, or in good standing at an accredited graduate program in the U.S.
Award Amount

Total: $5000

Awards: 1

Deadline

Deadline: May 15

PRSA Diversity Multicultural Scholarship

This award is offered to U.S. college juniors or seniors who are of African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Native American, Alaskan Native, or Pacific Islander ancestry. Students must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and it is preferred that they major or minor in public relations (or are in a communications degree program if a public relations program is not offered at their school).
Award Amount

Total: $1500

Awards: 2

Deadline

Deadline: May 31

Marcia Silverman Minority Student Award

This scholarship is available for minority students who are members of the Public Relations Student Society of America. Applicants must demonstrate a passion for the profession and potential for leadership.
Award Amount

Total: $5000

Awards: 1

Deadline

Deadline: May 31

Ofield Dukes Multicultural Student Award

This scholarship is available for members of the Public Relations Student Society of America who are entering their junior or senior year of college. Applicants must have a grade point average of 3.0 and contribute to ethnic diversity in the field.
Award Amount

Total: $1000

Awards: 1

Deadline

Deadline: May 31

Ken Inouye Memorial Scholarship

This award is available for minority students from Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate program and majoring in journalism. Applicants must have completed at least one full year of academic classes to be eligible for this scholarship.
Award Amount

Total: $3000

Awards: 3

Deadline

Deadline: June 15

Central California Asian Pacific Women Scholarships

Central California Pacific Women prepares and empowers Asian and Pacific Island women from the Central Valley to advocate for gender and social justice by supporting and providing leadership and mentoring opportunities in the Central Valley and beyond.
Award Amount

Total: $1000

Awards: 1

Deadline

Deadline: June 30

United Parcel Service Scholarship for Minority Students

This award is for minority undergraduate students who have a grade point average of 3.4 or higher and are members of the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers (IISE). The student must major in industrial engineering and may attend an institution in the U.S., its territories, Canada or Mexico.
Award Amount

Total: $4000

Awards: 2

Deadline

Deadline: November 15

La Raza Foundation Scholarship

This award is available for minority law school students who live in or attend law school in the San Francisco Bay Area. A $20,000 scholarship and one $5,000 scholarship, with the potential for additional scholarships and awards based on funding. Click here to learn more and apply today!
Award Amount

Total: $2500

Awards: 3

Deadline

Deadline: November 25

GFOA Minorities in Government Finance Scholarship

This scholarship is available for U.S. or Canadian college juniors, seniors, and graduate students who belong to one of the following groups (as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau): Black or African American, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or a Pacific Islander. Students must be majoring in public administration, (governmental) accounting, finance, political science, economics or business administration (with a specific focus on government or non-profit management).
Award Amount

Total: $10000

Awards: 1

Deadline

Deadline: January 04