A scholarship awarded by Charlotte Pride to help LGBTQ students pay for college has a catch: straight applicants can receive the scholarship as well.
The scholarship, which will award recipients up to $2,000 over four years for the purpose of attending an accredited two or four-year college, is open to LGBT and straight college students, the scholarship website states. The Charlotte Observer adds that the scholarship will award up to $10,000 in the first year.
“The Charlotte Pride Scholarship aims to improve economic mobility for LGBTQ and straight ally college students from the Charlotte metro area by funding college scholarships,” the website states.
Education is a key pathway to economic mobility says @OpportunityCLT. Our new scholarship is for #CLT #LGBTQ youth. https://t.co/bTgxjiieL6
— Charlotte Pride (@cltpride) April 11, 2017
The inclusion of straight applicants could draw some criticism, but Charlotte Pride spokesman Matt Comer told the Observer that the inclusion was meant to assist children of LGBT children.
“Part of the idea to include straight allies is that there are young people who are the children of LGBTQ partners,” Comer said. “LGBTQ parents who have children are struggling with employment discrimination, housing discrimination and economic hardships.”
The scholarship is a stepping stone in an effort to offer support to the city's LGBT community year-round, according to a Charlotte Pride statement about the scholarship.
“Over the past three years, we have also striven to create new opportunities to enrich, empower and strengthen our community,” the adds. “We're excited to begin this new effort to support lower-income LGBTQ and straight ally young people.”
Eligible applicants should have “a significant, unmet financial need,” the website says, and should have a high school GPA of at least 2.8. Multiple applicants will be selected and applications are now being accepted for students who will enter or continue college in the fall 2017 semester. The application deadline is Monday, May 15, 2017 at 11:59 p.m.
Image from Charlotte Pride Twitter page.
