PFLAG of Jacksonville Scholarship Program

Scholarship Sponsored by PFLAG of Jacksonville

Introduction / History
In 1996, PFLAG Jacksonville leaders visited a meeting in New Orleans and met young people who had benefited from college scholarships. Inspired by that encounter, they returned to Jacksonville with a plan to raise funds to support students in Northeast Florida.

Early awards began at $500. By 2003, fundraising had grown enough to double that amount to $1,000 per scholarship. Currently, PFLAG Jacksonville awards approximately 12 unencumbered scholarships each year, providing up to $2,000 per recipient. Since the program began, more than 390 scholarships have been granted, totaling in excess of $530,000.

Purpose and Oversight
An independent volunteer panel evaluates all applications. The scholarship program is the primary focus of PFLAG Jacksonville’s fundraising activities and represents the majority of the organization’s expenses.

Eligibility
- Applicants must be openly LGBTQ+ (publicly out).
- Candidates must have recently lived in or currently attend school in one of these counties: Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, or St. Johns.
- Applicants must have been admitted to a post-secondary institution (including trade schools) and be enrolled by August 1 of the award year.
- Applicants should have participated in activities that benefit the LGBTQ+ community.

Note on being out: Frieda has advised students that if they are not out and their parents are unwilling to support their education, they should reconsider applying—because award notifications and publicity may reveal their status and the award amount may not justify that exposure.

Enrollment and Course Load
- Preference is given to full-time students. Full-time is defined as 12 semester hours or more for undergraduate programs and 9 semester hours or more for graduate programs.
- Part-time students and those in continuing education programs may be considered in some cases.

Award Disbursement
- Full-time recipients: $1,000 for the fall semester and $1,000 for the spring semester (total up to $2,000), contingent on meeting each semester’s disbursement criteria.
- Part-time recipients: $500 for the fall semester and $500 for the spring semester, contingent on meeting each semester’s disbursement criteria.

Application Instructions
Download the PDF application and complete it using the free Adobe Reader application. The PDF is fillable online; text boxes will automatically shrink to fit your entries. The school and major listed on your application must correspond to the institution and field for which you are submitting fall registration. Any changes to school or major must be reported by the application submission deadline.

Questions or problems? Email application@pflagjax.org.