The Point Foundation

MISSION

The Point Foundation empowers promising lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential – despite the obstacles often put before them – to make a significant impact on society.

The Point Foundation (Point) is the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students of merit. Point promotes change through scholarship funding, mentorship, leadership development, and community service training.

SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING

Point provides a direct financial contribution toward the many different costs of attending the nation’s top educational institutions, such as tuition, housing, textbooks and class fees.

MENTORSHIP

boy-hoodie Point mentors build rewarding, personal relationships and serve as exemplary role models for the organization’s scholars, as well as provide scholars with advice on academic and professional career decisions.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Point provides training in leadership development, accountability and advocacy for its scholars through its programs, conferences, and by providing scholars with internship opportunities at other nonprofits and leading companies.

COMMUNITY SERVICE TRAINING

Point promotes philanthropic efforts and a culture of giving back to community by requiring its scholars to work with their mentors to design and complete an annual community service project.

IMPACT

See how our efforts to empower promising LGBTQ students have left a permanent imprint on the landscape and made a significant impact on society.

The Situation

Those with degrees earn higher incomes, are healthier, and have lower rates of unemployment and poverty throughout their lives.₁
In academic years 2011-2013, debt incurred by undergraduate and graduate students averaged $28,720 and $43,524, respectively.₂
One-third of LGBTQ students seeking financial aid reported delaying attending a four-year undergraduate and/or graduate program for reasons related to affordability or debt.₃
Of those students, 41.3 percent cited lack of familial support as accounting for their lack of affordability.4

Nearly 85 percent of students hear “gay” used in a negative way (e.g., “that’s so gay”) frequently or often in high school.₅
Students who experienced victimization based on their sexual orientation reported higher levels of depression and lower levels of self-esteem than those who reported lower levels of such victimization.₆
Nearly one-third of LGBTQ students drop out of high school, which is three times the national average.₇

Many students find that colleges are the first environments where organizations accept, teach, and offer companionship for students based on their sexuality. In fact, LGBTQ students seeking scholarships cite the presence of an on-campus LGBTQ center as the third most important factor when choosing a school.₈
Youth who are out to their immediate family or out at school report higher levels of happiness, optimism, acceptance and support through multiple measures. Not surprisingly, they also report higher levels of in–person participation with LGBT organizations at school and in the community.₉

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Authorized Affiliates of The New B.P

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