Point Foundation LGBTQ+ Scholarship
Point Foundation scholarships for LGBTQ+ and ally students at accredited, not-for-profit U.S. higher-education institutions; the verified cycle is closed and this entry is a historical reference.
Point Foundation LGBTQ+ Scholarship
Status of this entry
Point Foundation’s official scholarships page currently shows the Flagship, Community College, Access, and Internship & Professional Development applications as closed. This page is therefore a historical reference for the verified cycle that funded study and professional-development activities connected with 2026. Point has not published a new cycle with a new closing date on the official scholarship pages reviewed for this update. Do not treat this entry as an open application or use the archived dates to submit a late application.
The metadata keeps 2026-04-16, the official April 16 closing date for the Internship & Professional Development Award and its Kadel & Gerhardt Internship section. The other Point tracks closed on different dates, which are listed below. The single metadata date is a compact archive date for this combined opportunity, not a claim that every track shared one deadline.
What Point Foundation offers
Point Foundation supports LGBTQ+ and ally students through several programs rather than one uniform award. The official scholarships page describes support for community college, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. The individual pages add different academic, enrollment, and financial circumstances to that broad description. Applicants need to identify the track that fits their situation instead of assuming that the requirements for one award apply to all four.
The program has two parts. First, it provides financial support whose amount and duration depend on the track. Second, Point offers community, leadership development, career development, mentoring, and other programming to scholars. The scholarship is not limited to students whose careers will focus exclusively on LGBTQ+ issues. Point’s application tips say that applicants may still apply if their career goal is broader, while the scholarship pages require a connection and commitment to the LGBTQ+ and ally community.
The official source is the Point Foundation scholarships hub:
https://pointfoundation.org/scholarships
The individual pages are also important because the hub does not contain every amount or eligibility rule:
- Flagship Scholarship: https://pointfoundation.org/scholarships/flagship
- Community College Scholarship: https://pointfoundation.org/scholarships/community-college
- Access Scholarship: https://pointfoundation.org/scholarships/access
- Internship & Professional Development Award: https://pointfoundation.org/scholarships/internship-professional-development
- Application Tips: https://pointfoundation.org/scholarships/tips
Award amounts and support
The completed cycle had several different forms of support.
Flagship Scholarship
The Flagship Scholarship provides a financial award based on need. The official page says the award may be renewed for up to four years of support. It does not publish one universal dollar amount, so older listings that present Flagship as a fixed-value award should not be substituted for the official wording. The page says awarded scholars begin support in the fall 2026 term and may receive up to four years of support.
Flagship scholars also receive access to leadership development and a community of scholars and alumni. The official page describes an in-person summer conference and one virtual program in each academic term for Flagship Scholars. These program obligations and benefits are separate from the financial award and should be read in the instructions for the relevant cycle.
Community College Scholarship
The Community College Scholarship amount is $4,800 for the published cycle, with funding from fall 2026 through spring 2027. It is meant for students completing an associate degree or coursework that leads to transfer to a four-year college or university. The award can be used while the student is enrolled in community college; the FAQ warns that it cannot be carried forward to cover costs after transfer to a four-year institution.
Community College Scholars receive financial support, leadership development, and access to Point’s scholar and alumni community. The official page says Community College Scholars attend one virtual program each academic year.
Access Scholarship
The Access Scholarship amount is $1,500 for one academic term. It is designed for LGBTQ+ and ally students who are first-generation college students and/or come from low-income or under-resourced households. The official page presents it as both financial and community support, with access to leadership and career-development opportunities.
Internship & Professional Development Award
The general Internship & Professional Development Award offers up to $5,000 for out-of-pocket costs associated with a summer professional-development activity. Examples on the official page include an academic or professional conference, faculty-supervised research, an internship, or another activity that supports academic and career progress. The listed funding period is June 1 through September 15.
The same page separately describes the Kadel & Gerhardt Internships. Those awards can provide up to $7,000 for an unpaid summer internship related to HIV/AIDS research, services, advocacy, or care. The page says this section is open to current students or people within one year of graduation, provided they meet the other requirements and are LGBTQ+ or allies. The $7,000 figure should not be mistaken for the amount of every Internship & Professional Development Award.
Eligibility by track
All tracks are intended for LGBTQ+ and ally students, but the academic threshold differs.
Flagship requirements
The published Flagship requirements are:
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3.
- Full-time enrollment in a degree-seeking undergraduate, graduate, or professional program at an accredited, not-for-profit college or university in the United States.
- A connection and commitment to the LGBTQ+ and ally community.
- At least senior-year standing in high school when applying.
- If the applicant previously received a Point Scholarship, an active exit from the former program.
The official ineligibility list excludes students enrolled in 100% online degree programs, students who have already received four years of the Flagship Scholarship, and applicants or immediate family members who have had a formal relationship with Point as an employee, board member, or volunteer.
Community College requirements
The published Community College requirements are:
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
- Enrollment, or an intention to enroll, in an associate degree program or a transfer program.
- A connection and commitment to the LGBTQ+ and ally community.
- If the applicant previously received a Point Scholarship, an active exit from the former program.
- At least senior-year standing in high school when applying.
The program does not accept applicants in 100% online degree programs, students who have already received two years of this Community College Scholarship, current high school students seeking dual-enrollment funding, or applicants and immediate family members with the prohibited formal relationship to Point. A student at a campus that grants both two-year and four-year degrees may qualify if they are enrolled at least half-time in an associate program for the fall and spring terms.
Access requirements
The published Access requirements are:
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
- At least half-time enrollment in a degree-seeking associate, undergraduate, graduate, or professional program at an accredited, not-for-profit U.S. college or university.
- A connection and commitment to the LGBTQ+ and ally community.
- First-generation status and/or an under-resourced household.
- If the applicant previously received a Point Scholarship, an active exit from the former program.
The Access page excludes students enrolled in 100% online degree programs, students who have already received the Access Scholarship for four terms, current high school students seeking dual-enrollment funding, and applicants or immediate family members with the prohibited formal relationship to Point.
Internship requirements
For the general Internship & Professional Development Award, applicants needed to be enrolled in a degree-seeking program at an accredited U.S. postsecondary institution during the spring 2026 academic term, propose a professional-development opportunity during the summer of 2026, and be LGBTQ+ or an ally.
For the Kadel & Gerhardt Internships, the proposed placement needed to be unpaid and related to HIV/AIDS research, advocacy, and/or services. The official page says applicants could be currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program or within one year of graduation, and also needed to be LGBTQ+ or allies. These details are specific to that internship section; they should not be applied to the Flagship, Community College, or Access awards.
Deadlines and cycle timeline
The official pages show a completed cycle with separate application windows:
| Track | Official opening | Official closing | Published support period or context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagship | September 10 | November 20 | Support begins in the fall 2026 term; renewable up to four years |
| Access | January 28 | March 12 | One academic term; $1,500 |
| Community College | January 28 | April 9 | Fall 2026 through spring 2027; $4,800 |
| Internship & Professional Development | March 4 | April 16 | June 1 through September 15; up to $5,000 or up to $7,000 for Kadel & Gerhardt |
The official pages label each listed application as closed. They do not provide a new cycle’s closing date. A separate Point page mentions recurring opening dates, but it does not publish a complete new application announcement with a current deadline and updated requirements. For that reason, this entry remains historical rather than presenting a future date as if it had been confirmed.
How the application worked
When the cycle was open, applicants were expected to begin on the official Point Foundation scholarships page and select the relevant track. The application was online only. Point’s application tips explicitly say that faxed and mailed applications are not considered. The individual program page, rather than an old scholarship directory, was the place to check the correct form and the current requirements.
A sound application sequence for a future cycle is:
- Read the individual page for Flagship, Community College, Access, or Internship & Professional Development and choose only the track for which you qualify.
- Confirm the GPA, enrollment intensity, school accreditation and nonprofit status, program level, online-course restriction, and any track-specific conditions.
- Request the most recent academic transcript. Point says applicants need a transcript with a calculated GPA and may contact their last school for an unofficial copy.
- Prepare the identity, community, academic, financial, and activity information requested by the online form. For an internship award, also prepare the proposed activity, dates, costs, and host or placement details requested by that form.
- Submit only the components the current application requests. Point says it will review requested components and that unrequested supplemental materials may hurt rather than help an application.
- Submit before the published closing time. Point says complete applications submitted by the deadline receive equal consideration, so submitting earlier does not create a selection advantage, but it does leave time to correct a portal problem.
- Keep the confirmation email and log into the application portal to verify the application status. Point’s tips say applicants receive a confirmation email and can check status in the portal.
Applicants who do not yet know which college they will attend may still apply according to Point’s general tips. Selected scholars must verify enrollment. There is no age limit stated in the general FAQ. A person who is not selected may apply again in a later cycle, but Point says returning applicants should create current, competitive materials rather than recycle an old submission.
Materials to prepare
The official pages do not publish one universal checklist for all four programs. Requirements can change when a new cycle opens, and the application will control what Point reviews. The following preparation list is therefore practical guidance, not a promise that every item will be required:
- A recent unofficial transcript showing the calculated GPA.
- Current school, program, enrollment, and expected-completion information.
- A concise record of leadership, service, employment, campus involvement, and community work.
- A clear explanation of the applicant’s connection and commitment to the LGBTQ+ and ally community.
- A description of educational and career goals that does not rely on general claims.
- Financial information needed by the application to assess need or household circumstances.
- For an Internship & Professional Development application, a defined summer activity, its dates, costs, and connection to the applicant’s academic or professional goals.
- For a Kadel & Gerhardt application, evidence that the unpaid activity concerns HIV/AIDS research, services, advocacy, or care.
Do not send a packet of extra documents simply because another scholarship requested them. Point’s instructions specifically caution that only requested application components are reviewed. Wait for the new application to identify the required essays, references, financial fields, and uploads.
What scholars receive beyond money
Point describes a scholar community of LGBTQ+ and ally students, alumni, mentors, and supporters. Its programming includes leadership and career development, virtual workshops, in-person events, conferences, and community connections. The exact participation expectations depend on the award. Flagship has the most specifically described programming on the published page, while the Community College and Access pages describe access to development opportunities and the broader Point network.
This support may matter to an applicant who wants professional connections as well as help with tuition or a planned activity. It should not, however, be presented as a guaranteed job, placement, or unrestricted cash payment. The published award descriptions tie funds to the relevant academic term or professional-development purpose, and the next cycle’s terms will control if Point changes them.
Common mistakes to avoid
The first mistake is applying from an old link after the official page says closed. The second is treating the combined scholarship hub as if it had one set of requirements. A 3.3 GPA and full-time enrollment matter for Flagship, while Access has a 2.0 GPA minimum and at least half-time enrollment, and Community College has a 2.5 GPA minimum with associate or transfer-program requirements. The awards also have different funding periods and renewal limits.
Other avoidable problems include:
- Listing a four-year university plan when applying for Community College support that must be used while enrolled in community college.
- Calling the Flagship award a fixed amount when Point says it is based on need.
- Treating the $7,000 Kadel & Gerhardt amount as the standard amount for every professional-development applicant.
- Ignoring the 100% online program exclusion where it applies.
- Forgetting that prior Point recipients must have exited their former program with active status and may not receive more than one Point Scholarship at a time.
- Uploading unrequested supplemental material.
- Assuming a future cycle will repeat the published dates or rules.
Bottom line
Point Foundation is a real, organisation-run scholarship program for LGBTQ+ and ally students, with separate support for bachelor’s, graduate, professional, associate, transfer, and professional-development paths. The verified cycle is closed. Its published support ranged from the $1,500 Access Scholarship and $4,800 Community College Scholarship to need-based renewable Flagship support and professional-development awards of up to $5,000 or $7,000 for the named HIV/AIDS-related internships.
Keep the official scholarships hub and the relevant individual program page as your references. Before applying in a later cycle, confirm the new deadline, amount, eligibility rules, and requested materials directly on Point Foundation’s site. Until Point publishes that complete next-round information, this page is an archive of the verified closed cycle, not an invitation to submit an application.