THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

"Due to lack of familial and community support, LGBTQ students often come from resource challenged backgrounds," said Jorge Valencia, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Point Foundation ( pointfoundation.org/thepoint/jorge-valencia/ ). "Many are also the first in their families to try and navigate a path to higher education. Moreover, right now the LGBTQ community is under attack from those who want to roll back important rights and protections we have fought hard to attain. So, it is imperative that these students have access to much needed financial support and academic guidance that will allow them to succeed in college and beyond."

Point launched its Community College Scholarship in 2016 with pioneering support from longtime partner Wells Fargo. Point encourages other donors to support the program by funding a Community College Named Scholarship that recognizes and acknowledges a specific source, whether it be the donor, an individual or institution they wish to honor. A Community College Named Scholarship represents a commitment of $8,000 over one year. Established Named Scholarships currently target students in Florida, California, and students participating in sports leagues.

Point will announce the 2018 class of Point Foundation Community College Scholarship recipients in June for LGBTQ Pride Month. Concurrently Point will also announce its 2018 class of Point Foundation Scholars ( pointfoundation.org/point-apply/meet-our-scholars/ ); a program of multifaced support for LGBTQ students completing four-year and/or advanced degree programs.

Point Foundation empowers promising LGBTQ students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential — despite the obstacles often put before them — to make a significant impact on society. Point Foundation is the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ students of merit and has awarded scholarships to almost 400 recipients since 2002. The Foundation promotes change through scholarship funding, mentorship, leadership development and community service training. www.pointfoundation.org | Facebook/pointfoundation | Twitter/pointfoundation | Instagram/pointfoundation . Pointfoundation.tumblr.com . #pointfoundation