This January, Point Foundation celebrates the largest class of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) scholarship recipients, with 160 college students awarded. Each class of BIPOC awardees has continued to grow since the program began in 2021, and this new cohort of students again breaks the record for the largest BIPOC scholar class at Point.
"We are so excited to continue expanding the size of our BIPOC classes because that means more student leaders around the nation can access and succeed in their education, helping them to continue to have a positive impact on their communities and our society as a whole," said Margaux Cowden, Chief Program officer at Point Foundation.
This scholarship cohort of BIPOC LGBTQ students in colleges and universities around the country represents just a portion of the BIPOC students in the Point Foundation community. 84% of Point students identify as people of color or as biracial. The BIPOC program aims to dedicate services and funding to BIPOC students to combat years of systemic racism, which prohibits students from accessing or succeeding in higher education. The BIPOC scholarship program helps students like Michael Davidson, now an alum, pursue their career dreams.
"Support from Point Foundation opened a doorway to a network of LGBTQ+ scholars and professionals," Michael said. "I felt empowered to continue supporting my LGBTQ+ clients and their loved ones; empowered to fight in my own way to be seen and heard."
Along with funding, Point provides BIPOC scholarship students with essential community connections to other LGBTQ students and over 700 alumni, as well as coaching and leadership programming. These services and scholarships are made possible by the generous continuing support of donors and partners.
"The community of support we have from Point donors and partners is amazing, but as our application rates increase, so does our need for continued action," Margaux said. "Together, we have the chance to help hundreds of LGBTQ students in the US and continue to expand our mission of supporting students to overcome the obstacles to education."
Application windows are open twice a year for the Point BIPOC Scholarship. To learn more, see our BIPOC scholarship page.