NAAAP Boston is pleased to present our annual Future Leaders Scholarship Awards to recognize outstanding high school seniors who have demonstrated leadership qualities inside and outside of the classroom. This scholarship is a product of the combined efforts of NAAAP Boston and the generosity of corporate sponsors, community leaders, and individual donors.

Future Leaders Scholarship

ABOUT

Update: 2024 cycle is now live!

Founded out of a grassroots fundraising campaign by community members in 1987, the NAAAP Boston Future Leaders Scholarship Awards are offered yearly to high school seniors enrolling in college or university. Winners have a demonstrated track record of academic excellence, community engagement, and leadership potential.

By providing students with additional financial needs in their academic careers, we hope to further our mission of inspiring, promoting, and building leaders within the AAPI community. To date, over $250,000 in scholarships have been awarded to more than 100 high school seniors.

AWARDS

Each year, we offer scholarships to deserving students that have showcased strong leadership potential, academic excellence, and a commitment to supporting our AAPI communities.

Through the support of our generous corporate sponsors, the Richard and Chou Lee foundation, and the Francis Chin family, we proudly offer a handful of scholarships each year. Additionally, we will continue to offer our Pride Scholarship, the "Future Pride Leader Scholarship", specifically for students in the LGBTQ+ community.

APPLication process

Eligibility Criteria

Be a current senior high school student studying in the state of Massachusetts and will be enrolling in a four-year U.S. accredited college or university.
Be of Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity as defined by the U.S. Census.
Currently resides in the state of Massachusetts as a citizen, national, legal, permanent resident, or eligible non-citizen
(e.g. DACAmented) of the United States.
Must submit a formal scholarship application with a high school transcript, thoughtful essay responses, and letters of recommendation.
If selected for an interview, must be able to call in virtually via Zoom.
In-person scholarship award ceremony in late June or early July

Selection Criteria

Demonstrates financial need
Displays academic excellence
Showcases a commitment to supporting the AAPI community through community service
Demonstrates early signs of leadership potential
Thoughtful and reflective essay responses
Strong letters of recommendation

Application Procedure

The student must submit a scholarship application form with the following material attached to be fully considered:

Two 250-500 word essay responses
A letter of recommendation
- Letter must be sent via email directly from a school, employer, charitable foundation, government organization/agency, etc.
Unofficial copy of a FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR) as a PDF file
Unofficial high school transcript

NOTE: We will no longer be asking for an unofficial SAT or ACT report.

Apply Now

The deadline to apply is April 7th, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST.

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Finalists will be notified around May for virtual interviews. Scholarship recipients are invited to attend the scholarship award ceremony in late June/early July 2023 (in conjunction with the national leadership convention 2023).

If you have any questions or comments, please contact scholarship@naaapboston.org.

Please also refer to the FAQs below for more information.

FAQs

Can I apply if I am a student from another country?
- You must be a citizen, national, legal permanent resident, or eligible non-citizen of the United States to apply.
Can I apply if I am a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and am not eligible for financial aid?
- Yes, you can still apply. Please submit your parents’ current income tax documents along with your application.
Can I apply if I am not fully Asian?
- Yes, as long as you also meet all other criteria.
Is there a minimum GPA requirement to apply for the scholarship?
- No, there is no minimum GPA requirement to apply for the scholarship.
How do I know if my application was received?
- You will receive an email notification once we check all applications shortly after the deadline.
What is the deadline and do you accept late applications?
- All scholarship application materials must be received by April 7th, 2024.
- We do not accept late or incomplete applications.
How much is your scholarship award?
- The precise number and amount of awards each year depend on our applicant pool and funding. Historically, we have provided scholarship awards of $2,500 and $5,000 to the winners. Last year, we provided around $25,000 to six student winners.

What are the eligibility criteria for the PRIDE scholarship?
- In addition to the eligibility criteria for the general scholarship, we require that you identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
How can I be considered for the PRIDE scholarship?
- In addition to the application materials for the general scholarship, we require that you address either or both your LGBTQ+ experience/identity and your involvement in the LGBTQ+ community in at least one of your essay responses.
Who is an ideal candidate for this scholarship?
- An ideal candidate would demonstrate the following qualities:
  - Leadership: Shows empowerment of the self and of others/their community
  - Diligence: Shows motivation/persistence to overcome challenges/struggles, esp. as related to their LGBTQ+ identity
  - Reflection: Shows a nuanced understanding of the intersectional nature of their Asian-American and LGBTQ+ identity
  - Values: Shows an alignment with NAAAP Pride’s values for social equity and inclusivity, visibility, engagement, and empowerment
What is the deadline and do you accept late applications?
- All scholarship application materials must be received by April 7th, 2024.
- We do not accept late or incomplete applications.

Terms and Conditions

NAAAP Boston reserves the right, at our sole discretion, to update, change or replace any part of these Terms of Service by posting updates and changes to our website. It is your responsibility to check our website periodically for changes. Your continued use of or access to our website or the Service following the posting of any changes to these Terms of Service constitutes acceptance of those changes.