Scholarships

The LGBTQ Studies Program awards student scholarships and awards to CU undergradate and graduate students, and you don't have to be in our Certificate Program to qualify!

Not only can a scholarship provide valuable funding toward next year's tuition bill, it is also an impressive credential to add to your résumé! The application process is straightforward, and available through the CU Boulder Scholarship Application in the Buff Portal.

Karen Raforth Scholarship in LGBTQ Studies

The Karen Raforth Scholarship was created to help support students who show an aptitude for leadership and involvement with LGBTQIA issues. This award is named after Dr. Karen Raforth, who spent years devoting her time and talent to the LGBTQIA community at CU Boulder. Students must be currently enrolled full-time as undergraduates or graduates on the CU Boulder campus. Additionally, students must demonstrate leadership and involvement with LGBTQIA issues and community and should exemplify steadfastness, visibility, and effectiveness in the quest for LGBTQ rights and the rights of all marginalized people.

Applications are accepted each year through March 15, for scholarships to be awarded for the following academic year.

Award Amount: $1,000-$1,500

Apply online at Buff Portal

How to apply for scholarships:

1. Visit Buff Portal (https://buffportal.colorado.edu/)

2. Click the 'Scholarships' card, found within the Finances card group within the main menu

3. Click the ‘Apply for & Manage Scholarships'. A new tab will open the CU Boulder Scholarship Application

4. Complete the general application questions, and click ‘Update your application’

5. Complete the short essay portion of the general application (500 words or fewer), then click ‘Finish and Submit’

a. You can leave this blank and return to it later, but it must be complete by the application deadline for your application to be accepted.

6. Click ‘Start Applying’, and a list of scholarships will appear

a. if you do not see the above scholarships listed, you can search for them in the search field.

7. Click ‘Apply’ next to the scholarship name to complete the application and supplemental question.

8. You can click on ‘My Applications’ in the menu bar to view the status of your applications.

Evan Wolfson Prize in LGBTQ Studies

The Evan Wolfson Prize in LGBTQ Studies (established in 2014) recognizes the outstanding work of an undergraduate student at University of Colorado Boulder whose sole-author paper or creative work deals with LGBTQ issues, broadly defined. The annual award is named after Evan Wolfson, the attorney, author, gay rights advocate, and founder of Freedom to Marry. The Wolfson Prize is made possible through the generous gifts provided by Thomas Stephens (University of Colorado, class of 1974) and Todd Enders.

There are two general categories for submissions: (1) Research Paper and (2) Creative Work, including but not limited to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photography, and film. Entries in each category will be evaluated based on relevance to the field of LGBTQ Studies and on the quality of writing and/or originality of creative work.

Submission deadline for Spring 2024: Friday, April 12th. Visit www.colorado.edu/lgbtq/wolfson-prize for more information and application instructions.

Award Amount: The award winner in each category will receive $500. Note: the award may be subject to tax.

Other Campus Scholarships

The Center for Inclusion and Social Change at the University of Colorado Boulder also offers several annual scholarships for students in the LGBTQIA community:

LGBTQIA Scholarship

The LGBTQIA Scholarship is a $2,000 scholarship awarded to an undergraduate CU Boulder student. Students must be current undergraduates and have a record of service in making CU Boulder a more hospitable place for the LGBTQIA community. Preference is given to first-year students who have demonstrated satisfactory academic progress. Students do not have to demonstrate financial need to apply.

Joel Roger Wayne Scholarship

The Joel Roger Wayne Scholarship is a $1,000 award for CU Boulder undergraduate students that was established in 1996 to ensure that talented LGBTQ students could complete their college degrees, even if their families cut them off financially. Joel was a firm believer that if he could even help one young LGBTQ student get through college, he would have accomplished something meaningful in this world. While this scholarship is based on financial need, students do not need to have been financially cut off from their families to receive it.

Positive Futures Scholarship

The Positive Futures Scholarship is a $1,500 academic year scholarship for undergraduate or graduate students whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS or who are involved in public health advocacy. Additionally, students must be enrolled full-time, must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. To protect the privacy of scholarship winners, this is an award that can be given anonymously.