University of South Florida Offers LGBT Scholarship

The Alumni Association of USF (University of South Florida) has developed the first endowed LGBT scholarship to be offered at the univeristy.

The scholarship began over a year ago as a $1,000 fund but has grown into a $29,000 endowment with the help of Dr. Karen Berkman who chairs USF’s President’s Committee on Issues of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (CISOGI).

Berkman, who donated $20,000 to the fund stated;

“We felt that this was something that we wanted to be at USF forever, and the only way to make that happen was to get an endowed scholarship fund.”

In order for a scholarship to become endowed, the fund must first raise $25,000. When that amount has been obtained, the scholarship becomes permanent and works off of interest the monies earn.

USF is one of only a handful of public universities in Florida to offer such a scholarship.

The scholarship is available to all USF students, including incoming freshmen, regardless of sexual orientation. Requirements for the scholarship include having a 3.0 grade point average and applicants must demonstrate, by essay, their contributions to the LGBT community.

Crossposted via Gay Agenda.