Louisiana Scholarships

Louisiana students can create one profile on the Baton Rouge Area Foundation automated scholarship portal and apply to all currently open donor funds for which they qualify. Awards range from one-time $500 grants to four-year packages worth up to $20,000. Individual funds have distinct deadlines, often December through March or June. The portal surfaces only open scholarships at the time of application. BRAF administers statewide donor scholarship funds supporting post-secondary education.

Louisiana students who lost a parent or parents to COVID-19 and are enrolling in accredited post-secondary programs can apply for this renewable scholarship established by Congresswoman Julia Letlow in memory of her husband. The award provides $12,500 per academic year for up to four years, totaling up to $50,000. Applications are submitted through the BRAF scholarship portal. The dedicated fund page lists an October 1 opening and January 31 closing date; the directory lists December 1 through March 15.

The PFLAG New Orleans Scholarship Program recognizes outstanding LGBTQ+ students from Louisiana, awarding roughly twenty-five scholarships a year ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 (larger awards may be paid over four years). The program has run for decades and is supported by individual, business, and foundation donors. Applicants must self-identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer via a written statement; be a Louisiana resident at the time of application with a copy of a Louisiana driver's license or state ID as proof; be at least seventeen years old by May 1 of the award year; and be applying to attend or currently attending an accredited post-secondary institution. Applications, including two letters of recommendation and 400-500 word essays, are due February 1 each year.

Nursing-specific endowed scholarship for female Belmont BSN students with demonstrated financial need who are permanent residents of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia. Students admitted to the College of Nursing are automatically considered when they apply for first-year admission by December 1 or transfer admission by February 1. Awards range from $2,000 to $7,000 based on GPA, class rank, and community involvement. No separate nursing scholarship application is required beyond admission to the nursing major.

Residents of Arkansas, Louisiana, or Oklahoma diagnosed with end-stage renal disease who are currently on dialysis or are kidney transplant recipients and demonstrate financial need may apply. One scholarship of up to $5,000 per academic year covers tuition at higher-education or vocational programs. Funding may renew for one additional year based on academic performance and fund availability. Submit a statement of purpose, a reference from a nephrology professional, and the application. Funds are paid directly to the educational institution.

Graduating high school seniors from Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, or Texas may enter the National Rice Month Scholarship Video Contest by creating an original video of three minutes or less about U.S.-grown rice. Three guaranteed prizes are awarded: a $5,000 grand prize, $3,000 for second place, and $2,000 for third place. Upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo, complete the entry form, and submit through ReelRiceContest.com. Share your video on social media to encourage community engagement.

Actively practicing visual artists 18 and older who are legal U.S. residents and permanent residents of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee for at least two years may apply. Matriculated high school or fine-arts degree students are ineligible. Each of nine state fellows receives a $5,000 unrestricted award. Fellows then compete for the $25,000 Southern Prize or $10,000 finalist prize plus a Hambidge Center residency. Fellows must attend an awards ceremony and participate in a touring exhibition. Applications are submitted through South Arts' Salesforce portal with a $25 fee (waivers available), state ID, work samples, artist statement, and resume. The 2026 cycle closed March 18, 2026. South Arts is the regional arts organization for the nine-state American South, funded by state arts agencies and private foundations.

Professional working artists 18 and older in dance, music, theatre, visual arts, crafts, photography, design, media, literature, folk/traditional art, and related disciplines who are legal U.S. residents of the nine-state South Arts region may apply. Degree-seeking students during the grant period are ineligible. Grants cover up to two-thirds of a career-milestone opportunity (residency, exhibition, conference, apprenticeship, or similar), with a $500 minimum and $3,000 maximum. South Arts requires a 2:1 match. Activities must occur between November 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. Rolling applications were accepted July 16, 2025 through April 30, 2026 via Salesforce. Applicants must submit narrative responses, budget, resume, work samples, and evidence of invitation to the proposed activity. South Arts supports individual artists across the American South through competitive grants for professional development and presentation opportunities.

Louisiana Farm Bureau Foundation awards up to five state scholarships of up to $3,000 per year to graduating high school seniors pursuing agriculture-related degrees at accredited Louisiana colleges or universities. Applicants or parents must be Louisiana Farm Bureau members. Selection weighs academic achievement, ACT scores, leadership, Farm Bureau participation, and financial need. Renewable up to four years with GPA and major requirements. Apply through your parish Farm Bureau office; each parish may submit one nominee.

High school seniors or college students in the Dairy MAX region who have ties to the dairy industry may apply for Dairy MAX academic scholarships. Eligible applicants live in Colorado, southwest Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, western Oklahoma, Texas, or Wyoming and are either a child of a dairy farmer, a child of a dairy farm employee at a checkoff-funding dairy, or an FFA or 4-H dairy show participant in junior or senior year of high school. Three $2,500 scholarships are awarded. Selection weighs scholastic achievement, leadership, and agricultural involvement. Applications are available on the sponsor site. Dairy MAX supports students continuing their education in agriculture across its multi-state territory.