Charlotte Pride is excited about the return of its scholarship program and summer internship, which aims to improve economic mobility for LGBTQ and allied college students from the Charlotte metro area attending accredited two or four-year college by funding scholarships and a summer internship opportunity. Recipients are eligible for up to $10,000 for the 2026-2027 school year.
The program is made possible through a grant from the Principal Foundation, a global, independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity (established in 1987) dedicated to encouraging financial security and inclusion in communities where the Principal Financial Group operates. It provides grants to over 140 organizations across 25+ countries, focusing on essential needs, financial inclusion, and social connections.
“We are thrilled to continue the work of the Charlotte Pride Scholarship and Internship Program for a fourth year,” says Meredith Thompson, Managing Director of Charlotte Pride. “It’s an honor to be able to uplift and support dozens of talented and ambitious future leaders. Complementing our annual Charlotte Pride Job Fair, this program helps us foster economic growth and upward mobility – a key area of programmatic focus in our year-round work.”
Ideal applicants are high school seniors or college students from the Charlotte metro area (including Mecklenburg, York, Gaston, Cabarrus, Iredell, Rowan, Cleveland, Lancaster, Lincoln, Stanly, Chester, Catawba, Chesterfield, Alexander, or Anson Counties, as well as Union County NC) with a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale. LGBTQ or ally students who have demonstrated service to the LGBTQ community or strong desire to serve the LGBTQ community are encouraged to apply.
The Charlotte Pride Scholarship Program offers 12 scholarship awards, including one Champion of Pride Scholarship ($10,000); one Legacy Scholarship ($5,000); two Empowerment Scholarships ($2,500 each); two Leadership Scholarships ($1,250 each) and five Visionary Scholarships ($1,000 each).
Along with the aforementioned awards, Charlotte Pride has proudly named a new scholarship this year: the Valdez Visibility Scholarship ($2,500), in honor of its outgoing board director and former board chair, Daniel Valdez, who was also a Charlotte Pride Champions of Pride “Stonewall” Award winner in 2022 and a Charlotte Pride Parade Grand Marshal in 2023.
The program also provides a summer internship experience with a $5,000 summer stipend. The intern will spend eight weeks working alongside Charlotte Pride staff during the busy summer Pride season. Only one intern will be chosen, serving eight weeks for 40 hours each week over Summer 2026, reporting for their first day on Monday, June 8.
You can read more about the new Valdez Visibility Scholarship and see details about the program and its awards at https://charlottepride.org/scholarship/.
According to the organization’s website, all applications are due on April 19, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. Eastern and no late applications will be accepted.