Scarlet & Gay: The OSU LGBTQ Alumni Society - Scholarship

The Scarlet & Gay LGBTQ Alumni Society is dedicated to making studying at The Ohio State University a financial reality for more LGBTQ students and their allies. Realizing that the financial demands placed on students and families because of the rising cost of higher education is often multiplied for LGBTQ students, fundraising efforts by the society has made these scholarships a reality. We hope to reach students who have been turned away by their family for “coming out,” and help LGBTQ students address other unique financial issues. Ohio State is dedicated to diversity, and these scholarships become one more tool for the University to recruit a diverse student body. These funds encourage students to choose Ohio State, and make it easier for more students to continue pursuing academic excellence at Ohio State.

Since 1997, the University has partnered with the Columbus Chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) to offer the Eric Kohring – PFLAG Scholarship. A seed gift from the estate of Eric Kohring and various donations allowed the LGBTQ Alumni Society to offer both annual scholarships and to create the first endowed scholarship for LGBTQ students in the state of Ohio. In 2002, a gift from the estate of Harold “Marc” McIntosh created another five endowed scholarships for LGBTQ students. This gift was among the first to dedicate scholarships targeted towards people living with HIV and AIDS and towards LGBTQ students who are new to the University.

In 2005, an additional scholarship, entitled the Mark Moffett, Jr. Memorial Scholarship, was added to recognize an outstanding music major in the LGBTQ community. The fund continues towards endowment. In 2011, through a family donation, a new scholarship named after alumnus Thomas Fogel now grants $2,500 a year to a LGBTQ student with strong financial need. This fund will seek endowment over the next few years.

In 2014, through the generosity of our former OSU LGBTQ Alumni Society President, the Jack Miner Scholarship for Transgender Students was created, dedicated to recognizing students who identify as transgender and intersex and students who provide leadership and service within that community. 

In 2022, Scarlet & Gay was one of a select few alumni societies chosen to participate in Ohio State’s First Lady Scholarship Challenge, contributing to the university’s goal of offering a debt-free bachelor’s degree within a decade. Scarlet and Gay’s highly successful National Coming Out Day Ad and passionate membership contributions helped expand our scholarship program even further to offer six new Scarlet & Gay Leadership & Service Scholarships.

If you are interested in donating funds toward our scholarship program, please email Kristina Toliver for more information.

New The Marsha P. Johnson Civil Rights and Civic Leadership Scholarship – $2,500-5,000 each

• In honor of civil rights pioneer Marsha P. Johnson, these ten scholarships are dedicated to undergraduate and graduate students who have demonstrated civic leadership to the LGBTQ community through service, research, advocacy, or other contributions that protect and promote human dignity.

The Anne Casto/Susan White Scholarship for LGBTQ Students in Healthcare – $3,000

• This scholarship is dedicated to students who have made contributions to the LGBTQ community through leadership, service, and volunteering and are majoring in the one of the programs within the Colleges of Medicine or Public Health.

The Scarlet and Gay Scholarship for QPOC Students – $3,500

• This scholarship is dedicated to recognizing outstanding students who identify as queer people of color and students who provide leadership and service within the queer people of color community.

The Eric Kohring PFLAG Scholarship – $3,000

• This scholarship is dedicated to students who have made contributions to the LGBTQ community through leadership, service, volunteering or research.

The Harold A. McIntosh Scholarship for LGBTQ Students – $2,500 each

• Three scholarships are available to LGBTQ students who have been active student leaders including providing leadership and service to the LGBTQ community. One of these scholarships is dedicated to students with special financial need. One of these scholarships is dedicated to first-year students (either freshman or transfer students).

The Harold A McIntosh Scholarship for Service to the HIV/AIDS Community – $2,500

• This scholarship is dedicated to students who provide leadership and service within the HIV and AIDS community.  Students with research in the field of HIV/AIDS are also eligible for this scholarship.

The Harold A. McIntosh Scholarship for Students Living with HIV/AIDS – $2,500

• This scholarship is dedicated to students living with HIV or AIDS.

The Jack Miner Scholarship for Transgender Students – $3,500

• This scholarship is dedicated to recognizing outstanding students who identify as transgender or intersex and students who provide leadership and service within the Transgender and Intersex community.  Leadership and service to the community may be defined as service to the campus community, local community, or national community, or to those who are adding to the academic body of work on issues of gender diversity.

The Mark Moffett, Jr. Memorial Scholarship – $1,500

• This scholarship is dedicated to students who have made contributions to the LGBTQ community through leadership, service, and volunteering and are majoring in music.

To apply for these scholarships, please visit the application portal.

Students must meet the following requirements to be eligible for scholarships:

General Eligibility Guidelines 

• Scholarships are a one-time award granted for the next academic year—to be eligible, the student must be enrolled for the next academic year in a degree-seeking program (undergraduate or graduate) at The Ohio State University.
• Incoming students are eligible. This includes high school, transfer, and graduate students who intend to study at Ohio State next academic year.
• Current students who are graduating and not pursuing another degree program at Ohio State for the next academic year are not eligible.
• We will not be able to award scholarships to students who have already reached their maximum Cost of Attendance (COA) in non-repayable financial aid for the next academic year, such as other scholarships or grants (not loans). Please see Student Financial Aid’s Cost of Attendance page for more information on COA.
• Scholarships are disbursed directly through BuckeyeLink. Half of the scholarship will be disbursed in the fall semester and the remaining half in the spring semester. We cannot disburse scholarships outside BuckeyeLink.
• Eligible students are able to reapply on an annual basis.
• Currently enrolled students must have a cumulative GPA of no less than 3.0.
• Scholarships may be used for main campus or a regional campus.

Individual scholarships may have additional eligibility criteria in addition to the guidelines listed above; however, you only need to submit one application because ScholarshipUniverse will automatically consider you for every other Scarlet & Gay scholarship you qualify for.