Scholarships for Student Activists

Scholarships (2)

SSA Student Activist Scholarship

The scholarships are available to students enrolled in high school or college in the United States and are designed to support students who in addition to pursuing excellence in their academic studies are also activists for secular values on their campus and/or in their community.

2020 Recipients
2019 Recipients
2018 Recipients
Apply for a Secular Activist Scholarship

Before you start on the application below you may wish to take some time and write out answers to the following questions which will appear in part three of the application. You will have 500 words to complete each question.

  1. What are your educational, career, and life goals?
  2. What is your secular identity? How did you come to your secularism and how do you see it remaining a part of your life?
  3. What other aspects of your identity intersect, interact with, or inform your secularism?
  4. What secular activism have you been involved with (on campus or off)?
  5. What intersectional activism have you been involved with (on campus or off)?
  6. What activism plans do you have for this academic year?
  7. Why is the work of the SSA important to you and what are your goals relating to the Secular Student Alliance Mission and Vision?
  8. What obstacles, barriers, or financial hardships have you faced in pursuing your academic goals? What role would this scholarship have in helping you overcome these challenges?

In addition to scholarships that apply to all high school and college students nationwide, there are also unique and state-specific scholarships, including:

Zora Neale Hurston Scholarship - awarded jointly by Black Nonbelievers

Dr. Hector Avalos Scholarship - awarded jointly by Hispanic American Freethinkers

Cliff Richards Memorial/FFRF Scholarships for students attending an HBCU

Yip Harburg Lyric Foundation/FFRF Scholarship for a student in the Arts

Phoenix Fund/FFRF Scholarship for Native American students.

Al Luneman/FFRF Student Activist Award for a student who is outspoken on state/church separation

The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers sponsors a scholarship for a student who is active duty military or a veteran.

 

If you are enrolled in school in one of the following states, you may be eligible for these scholarships:

Florida

    • The Florida Humanist Association sponsors two scholarships for students enrolled in college in the state of Florida. 
    • The Humanists of Sarasota Bay sponsors one scholarship for a student enrolled in college in Sarasota County or nearby counties.
    • The Humanists of North Central Florida sponsors one scholarship for a student enrolled in college in the North Central Florida region.
    • The Atheist Community of Polk County sponsors one scholarship for a student enrolled in college in Polk County or nearby counties.
    • The Central Florida Freethought Community sponsors one scholarship for a student enrolled in college in the state of Florida. 

Tennessee

    • The Rationalists of East Tennessee sponsors one scholarship for a student enrolled in college in the state of Tennessee student (family members of board members are ineligible for the scholarship).

Oklahoma

    • Oklahoma Atheists sponsors one scholarship to a student enrolled in college in the state of Oklahoma.

Texas

    • Houston Oasis sponsors one scholarship for a student enrolled in college in the state of Texas.
    • Freethinkers Association of Central Texas in San Antonio sponsors one scholarship for a student enrolled in college in the state of Texas.

Colorado

    • The Janice Mowry Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a student in the state of Colorado.
    • FFRF Metro Denver Chapter sponsors one scholarship for a student in the state of Colorado.

Pennsylvania

    • The Freethought Society sponsors one scholarship for a student in the state of Pennsylvania.

Missouri

    • The Rationalist Society Of Saint Louis sponsors one scholarship for a student in the state of Missouri.

California

    • The Humanist Association of Orange County, Humanist Society of Santa Barbara, and Atheists United sponsor one scholarship for a student enrolled in college in Southern California.
    • The Secular Student Alliance sponsors a scholarship for students enrolled in middle or high school in the state of California.

Sponsor A Secular Student Scholarship

Individual, national organizations, and local atheist, humanist, and freethought groups can directly impact the lives of secular student activists by sponsoring a scholarship.  The Secular Student Alliance does most of the work.  You select and congratulate your student scholarship recipient. 

Information on Sponsoring a Scholarship

The American Atheist scholarship

American Atheists celebrates student activism by awarding scholarships to students who demonstrate atheist activism in their communities and schools. The application period opens in December of each year with applications due by mid-February. Check back for a link to the application.

Black Skeptics of Los Angeles First in the Family Humanist Scholarship

Freedom From Religion Foundation Catherine Fahringer Memorial Award

Four $2,500 scholarships are awarded to high school youth to assist with their tuition, room and board, books, and other academic resources. This award is available to high school youth who live in the U.S. who identify as atheist, agnostic, humanist and/or secular, and are accepted into two or four-year colleges. Preference is given to students of color (Black/African American, Latino(a), Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American). Students who are (or have been) in foster care, homeless, undocumented and/or LGBTQ are encouraged to apply.

Check back for the 2021 scholarship application.

3 Comments

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