Three Lucky LGBTQ Students Are About to Be $10,000 Richer

Going to college is costly, and for many students, particularly those who identify as LGBTQ, finding support can be tough. With few scholarships offered specifically to LGBTQ students, securing financial assistance is a tremendous concern for queer college-bound youth. Fortunately, AT&T wants to help.

AT&T earned a perfect score on the 2017 Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Corporate Equality Index. Last year, they demonstrated their commitment to supporting LGBTQ youth through their 'Time to Thrive' initiative. This year, they're taking that commitment to a new level. 

To do this, AT&T is working with HRC—the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization—to nurture tomorrow's LGBTQ leaders and increase queer visibility on college campuses. Together, the organizations have launched the first-ever Live Proud on Campus scholarship contest, and it's legit. 

“AT&T is a longtime supporter of the LGBT community. Our new Live Proud on Campus scholarship contest is reflective of that,” said Leonardo Torréss, assistant vice president of Diversity Marketing for AT&T. “The Human Rights Campaign is committed to advancing equal rights and respect for all and so are we. We’re excited to help HRC mentor the future leaders who will continue that valuable work.”

Submitting to the scholarship contest is pretty straightforward. College students 18 and older simply must submit a video describing an LGBTQ-focused project they'd like to bring to life at their school. The proposed projects must focus on the visibility, equality or acceptance of the LGBTQ community. The final deadline for submissions is Sept. 22. The public will vote and select the 15 semifinalists, which will be narrowed down to six finalists. Then, on Oct. 16, HRC will choose and announce three lucky grand prize winners.

The winners will receive a $10,000 scholarship, $2,500 to support their on-campus project and a trip to Washington D.C. to attend the HRC National Dinner. Plus, the grand prize winners will be matched with a mentor from the HRC leadership team to help them plan their on-campus project. 

To learn more about the scholarship or to submit an entry, visit att.com/liveproud.