Scholarship Fund
PFund’s scholarship fund is used to provide scholarships to LGBTQ+ learners from the upper Midwest at all stages of their educations. In 2023, PFund Foundation distributed a record $132,000 to more than 50 queer students from across the upper Midwest.
Am I Eligible to Apply?
To apply for a PFund scholarship, individuals must:
Be 17 years of age or older by June 1, 2024.
Be either from or currently attending school in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, or South Dakota.
Identify as LGBTQ+.
Be currently enrolled in or admitted to a GED program, community college, four-year college, university, graduate school, trade school, professional certificate program, or apprenticeship program for the 2024 - 2025 academic year.
Please note: All scholarship payments made directly to the student will require the student to submit a IRS Form W9 which requires a social security number or other tax ID number.
There is one application window per year for PFund Foundation scholarships. The 2024 application period is open from January 16 through 4:59 p.m. March 11.
You can learn the basics of setting up a Submittable account and applying for a scholarship by watching this brief (8 minute) video excerpt from a recent scholarships webinar.
For applicants who may need assistance writing their scholarship essays, we have created a mini online course to help you write your application essay and understand how PFund scores scholarship applications. You can check it out by clicking here.
PFund Scholarships are made possible by donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. In 2024, the scholarship program received major support from Cargill, with additional support from the Pentair Foundation, the Union Pacific Foundation and Project Management Institute Minnesota.
The Application Process
PFund uses Submittable to manage its scholarship application process. Click here to visit PFund’s Submittable page and see if the application window for scholarships is currently open (the application window is typically from mid-January to mid-March each year). Submittable requires that you create an online profile that allows you to save and edit your application. You can also use this profile to check if you have been awarded a scholarship, and ask questions of PFund’s staff. Click here to access a brief video explaining the basics of Submittable and PFund’s scholarship application process.
For full application details, see the Submittable page.
PFund Foundation uses a community-driven review process to make recommendations for the awarding of scholarships. The committee is made up of LGBTQ+ and allied volunteers who review applications, select finalists, and recommend awards to the board of directors for approval. Once the board approves the recommendations, we notify all applicants via email and mail. The amount of funding varies year-to-year. Individual scholarship amounts range from $1,000 to $12,000.
FAQs
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PFund uses Submittable to manage its scholarship application process. Click here to visit PFund’s Submittable page and see if the application window for scholarships is currently open (the application window is typically from mid-January to mid-March each year).
Submittable requires that you create an online profile that allows you to save and edit your application. You can also use this profile to check if you have been awarded a scholarship, and ask questions of PFund’s staff.
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The amount of funding and number of awards varies by year. Individual scholarships range from $1,000 to $12,000. In 2022, PFund distributed $124,000 to dozens of scholarship recipients.
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There is one application window for PFund scholarships per year, typically starting in mid-January. Follow PFund on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn to keep up with the foundation’s latest funding and scholarship announcements.
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No! Many of scholarships go to students enrolled in 2- and 4-year colleges and universities, but we have scholarships available for learners at all stages of their education, from G.E.D. to Ph.D.
We also provide scholarships to support students pursuing professional certificates, vocational training, and apprenticeships.
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PFund Foundation uses a community-driven review process to make recommendations for the awarding of scholarships. The committee is made up of LGBTQ+ and allied volunteers who review applications, select finalists, and recommend awards to the board of directors for approval. Once the board approves the recommendations, we notify all applicants via email and mail.
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PFund has a very small programs staff that is unable to provide assistance in writing scholarship applications or review applications prior to submission. However, we have created a mini online traiing course that offers tips and tricks on how you write your best scholarship application essay.
Meet PFund Scholar Noah
Growing up as one of ten children in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Noah doesn’t remember the possibility of college being regularly discussed. Adopted shortly after birth and half-Filipino, Noah grew up with parents who didn’t attend college and neither did his older siblings. Still, he knew from a young age that he was interested in attending.