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.
CAMS Scholarship
Banatao Filipino American Education Fund Scholarships
InspirAsian Scholarship
Asian American Architects and Engineers Foundation Scholarship
Matt Fong Asian Americans in Public Finance Scholarship
Eugene and Thora Chin Scholarship Fund
NAPABA Legal Foundation Scholarship
Pinay Aspire Scholarships
Dr. George Goro and Nettie Muramoto Memorial Scholarship
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 .
U.S. first- and second-year college students who are attending select universities and demonstrate high academic achievement are eligible for this award.
This award is available for current high school seniors of Asian-Indian heritage with at least one parent Indian ancestry. Applicants must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and plan to enroll full time in an undergraduate program.
This scholarship is available for U.S. high school seniors and undergraduate students who are planning to attend Colby College. Students must demonstrate scholastic strength and leadership potential and must be African American, Latino/Latina, Asian American, or Native American.
The OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates Youth Leadership Award is available for Asian American and Pacific Islander high school seniors who reside in Missouri and have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
The Eugene and Thora Chin Scholarship Fund is available for students of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage. Applicants must reside in Sacramento, California and must demonstrate a record of excellent academic achievement.
This scholarship is available for current U.S. undergraduate students who work or have worked in an Asian restaurant (Asian-owned or Asian cuisine) OR have a parent who works or has worked in one.
The San Diego Chinese Women’s Association awards annual scholarships to selected outstanding students of Chinese descent who are attending high school in San Diego County.
This scholarship is available for first generation Asian Americans in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara or Solano county of California. Applicants must be high school seniors at the time of application and must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
This award is available for U.S. high school seniors who are 16 years of age or older at time of application and are of Asian Pacific Island/Pan-Asian American heritage. Students must have a grade point average of 3.3 or higher, be involved in community service, and demonstrate financial need.
