Levin-Goffe Scholarship for LGBTQI Immigants Celebrates 5 Years

Morrison, a recent Levin-Goffe Scholar, addresses the crowd at Stonewall’s Vision Awards

In 2014, after witnessing the hardships faced by undocumented students who were unable to apply for federal student loans, Andrew Goffe and Jeff Levin reached out to Stonewall Community Foundation to establish a scholarship and address that need. Now in its fifth year, this life-changing scholarship awards up to $25,000 over two years to undocumented undergraduate students in New York City who identify as LGBTQI. Since its inception, the scholarship has supported 11 students from nine countries. Many scholars have experienced homophobia or transphobia in their countries of origin as well as economic hardships here in the US as they work to complete their degrees, often taking on multiple jobs to pay for school. The Levin-Goffe Scholarship (LGS) alleviates this financial burden, and allows students to devote more time to their studies and personal growth.

A 2015 scholar recently told us, “If I had never been able to make the switch from part-time to full-time student, I might still be taking classes today. The scholarship opened the door for me to fully immerse myself in my studies, complete my program much sooner than anticipated, obtain a competitive internship and immediately find a full-time role as soon as I finished classes—all of this within the two years that I was a recipient of the scholarship.”

This year, the LGS received 12 outstanding applications from students from 11 different countries. After thoughtful deliberation, the scholarship committee awarded three scholarships to students from Ecuador, El Salvador, and Russia. For two students, the scholarship covers the entire cost of their last year of school, which will allow them to graduate with their eyes on the future.

If you are interested in learning more about our scholarship programs, or establishing a scholarship of your own at Stonewall, contact our Program Manager, Maryse Pearce at maryse.pearce@stonewallfoundation.org.