About Us

Who We Are:

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) is the nation's largest 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides scholarships to Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs) with financial need. Based in Washington, D.C., APIASF was formed in 2003.

While national scholarship organizations for Latinos and African Americans have existed for more than 30 and 60 years respectively, there was not a comparable organization for APIAs until APIASF's formation.

The Need for Scholarships for APIA Students:

• Asian and Pacific Islander Americans are frequently, though misleadingly, deemed a well-educated and financially successful population.
• It is well-documented, however, that many Asian and Pacific Islander ethnic groups have educational levels that are below the national average, with several ranking among the lowest in the nation.
• In addition, 13 percent of Asian Americans and 17 percent of Pacific Islanders live in poverty compared to 12 percent of the general population, with several Asian American ethnic groups having poverty rates significantly higher than many other ethnic groups in the United States.
• Studies show that APIA students may be marginalized and overlooked in leadership development programs on college campuses; in addition, they may not readily relate to or embrace the label of "leader" relative to their White peers.
• Based on these and other statistics, APIASF endeavors to provide scholarships to APIA students in our community who:
• Live at or below the poverty level, or are otherwise of low socioeconomic status;
• Are underrepresented on college campuses due to limited access and opportunity; and
• Have placed strong emphasis on community service and leadership as well as on solid academic achievement.

Vision and Mission of APIASF:

Our vision is to see that all Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have access to higher education and resources that cultivate their academic, personal and professional success regardless of their ethnicity, national origin or financial means.

Our mission is to make a difference in the lives of APIA students by providing them with resources that increase their access to higher education which serves as the foundation for their future success and contributions to a stronger America. We carry out our mission by:

• Providing scholarships to APIA students;
• Forging partnerships among corporations, foundations, community organizations and individuals to provide adequate financial and other resources to carry out our mission;
• Providing guidance, mentorship and programs to facilitate students' academic success, leadership and professional growth;
• Establishing strategic alliances within APIA and educational communities; and
• Building a clearinghouse of higher education research on APIA high school and college students and continue to increase awareness of APIA education issues and challenges.

Through promoting educational achievement among APIASF scholars and among APIAs more broadly, APIASF seeks to enrich the lives of APIA students, their families and the APIA community, contributing to a more educated U.S. workforce and strengthening the nation as a whole.

Our Scholarships:

APIASF manages two scholarships: the APIASF freshman scholarship program and the Gates Millennium Scholars/Asian Pacific Islander Americans (GMS/APIA). Funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and administered by UNCF, the GMS/APIA program provides outstanding Pell Grant eligible APIA students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline they choose and a graduate degree in specific fields. APIASF assumed the administration of this program in September 2006.

Links:

APIASF General Information Flyer (pdf)
APIASF 2008-2009 Scholars Demographics (pdf)

APIASF Informational Video
Spotlighting our Scholars.