Asian Pacific Fund Scholarships
Before you spend hours on this
Will this scholarship actually lower your cost?
Not always. Many colleges reduce your financial-aid package when you win an outside scholarship — sometimes dollar-for-dollar — so the money can end up saving the school instead of you. It's called scholarship displacement. Two free tools tell you where you actually stand:
General guidance, not financial advice — your school's financial aid office is the only authority on how they treat outside awards. Always confirm with them before deciding.
Best fit for
Asian/Pacific Islander students across the full range of heritages, particularly those with strong identification in a specific sub-heritage (Vietnamese-American, Filipino-American, Hmong-American, Korean-American, Native Hawaiian, etc.). Apply to BOTH Asian Pacific Fund AND APIA Scholars — they're different organizations.
What they actually look for
Asian Pacific Fund administers 30+ named scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 through ONE application. While APIA Scholars (entry 35 above) is the largest single API scholarship organization, Asian Pacific Fund covers a broader range of specific national heritages and has named scholarships for: Vietnamese, Hmong, Filipino, Korean, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, South Asian, and many sub-categories. The named scholarships often have very small applicant pools per heritage.
What you'll need
- Asian / Pacific Islander heritage (broadly defined — Asian Pacific Fund covers 30+ ethnic backgrounds)
- Current HS senior, college student, or graduate student
- FAFSA filed (need demonstrated)
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Multiple essays on heritage, leadership, goals
- Two recommendations
- Apply via the Asian Pacific Fund central portal — ONE app routes to multiple named scholarships
When to start
Application typically opens January, closes mid-March. Awards announced May-June. Re-apply each year — these are mostly single-year awards (some are renewable).
Watch out for
Many APF named scholarships have specific ethnicity AND specific career-track requirements (Vietnamese-American + healthcare, Filipino + STEM, etc.) — read the named-scholarship criteria carefully. Your general application matches you to all eligible ones, but some additional essays may be required for specific awards.