Scholarships & Awards
For more than two decades, the LGBTQ+ Equity Center has administered scholarships as well as non-monetary awards to recognize the achievements of campus community members and alumni who have worked to foster a culture of LGBTQ+ inclusion on campus and around the world. Awards are presented during Lavender Celebration each spring. Self nominations are welcome. This year the 28th Annual Lavender Celebration of Graduates and Award Winners will be held at the UMD Stamp Student Union Atrium on Monday, May 18th, 2026, from 5:00-7:00pm. For more information, please visit the Lavender Celebration webpage.
LGBTQ+ Equity Center Scholarships
Dr. Luke S. Jensen Endowed Scholarship for the LGBTQ+ Equity Center
The Dr. Luke S. Jensen Scholarship for the LGBTQ+ Equity Center honors the founder and former director of the for LGBTQ+ Equity Center, Dr. Luke S. Jensen, who retired in 2021 after 30 years of service to the University of Maryland. Since his retirement, Dr. Jensen and community members who make gifts to this account have grown this scholarship's impact on our students. This fund provides scholarships for undergraduate or graduate students who are affiliated with the LGBTQ+ Equity Center (through Belonging & Community at UMD) and who demonstrate a commitment to the empowerment of LGBTQ+ people and communities. Make a gift to the Dr. Luke S. Jensen Scholarship for the LGBTQ+ Equity Center.
This year, the Jensen Endowed Scholarship will award $2,000 each to at least three students for the 2026-2027 school year. Recipients must be planning to be full-time graduate or undergraduate students at the University of Maryland, College Park, during the 2026-2027 academic year and the award will be disbursed equally at the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters. The 2026-2027 scholarship application will be available on UMD’s Scholarship Universe portal from late January 2026 through early March 2026.
To apply, undergraduate and graduate students are asked to submit a one-page resume and respond to the following prompt: “Provide a short statement (maximum of 500 words) describing how you have worked towards the empowerment of LGBTQ+ people and communities.” Students are encouraged, though not required, to submit one letter of recommendation that might help illustrate their work ethic, accomplishments and legacy. The option to include an unofficial transcript is also available.
2026-2027 recipients will also have the opportunity to be recognized at the 28th Annual Lavender Celebration of Graduates and Award Winners in May 2026 and Quelcome 2026 (our welcome back event). 2026-2027 Jensen Scholarship recipients will be invited and encouraged to attend a luncheon for scholarship recipients with LGBTQ+ Equity Center staff and founding director Dr. Luke Jensen in Fall 2027. The deadline to apply will be March 31, 2026. Questions can be sent to the director of the LGBTQ+ Equity Center, Dr. Kristopher Oliveira (kao@umd.edu).
LGBTQ+ Equity Center Awards
Undergraduate Student Involvement Award
First awarded in 2026, the Undergraduate Student Involvement Award is presented to a University of Maryland undergraduate student who has worked to make the campus community more inclusive for LGBTQ+ people. Open to all UMD undergraduate students. Self nominations are welcome.
Graduate Student Involvement Award
First awarded in 2017, the Graduate Student Involvement Award is presented to a University of Maryland graduate student who has worked to make the campus community more inclusive for LGBTQ+ people. Open to all UMD graduate students. Self nominations are welcome.
Pride & Advocacy Award
First awarded in 2017, the Pride and Advocacy Award is presented to someone who has demonstrated exceptional leadership during the past year resulting in a positive impact on LGBTQ+ communities at UMD. The recipient may be anyone, including undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty, administrators, and also alumni and friends of the campus. Self nominations are welcome.