Buddhist Scholarships
The number of Buddhists worldwide varies widely depending on who you ask, but most religious theorists speculate there are at least 350 million people practicing Buddhism, predominantly in Asian countries such as Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The religion has, however, gained more followers across the world, with more Americans and Western Europeans, for example, exploring karma and the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha.
Despite the growing numbers of Buddhists, however, scholarships for college students practicing Buddhism remain fairly uncommon. Don’t get too discouraged, too. Scholarships by type that get this specific are often not as competitive as awards based on more broad criteria, such as academic achievement or financial need. Buddhist scholarships are also available to students looking to study the religion on the undergraduate or graduate level, so if you’re a religious studies major, consider looking for awards based on the religion you’re interested in exploring further.
To view scholarship information for some examples of Buddhist scholarships, click the links below. For a more complete list of scholarship opportunities, religious and otherwise, conduct a free college scholarship search.
College-Based Scholarships
Students interested in religious studies focused on Buddhism rather than practicing the religion may have a number of options available to them in terms of funding those pursuits. Naropa University, for example, offers the $15,000 Frederick P. Lenz Foundation Merit Scholarship to support the studies of those who will go on to make significant contributions to American Buddhism. The school also offers a Monastic Scholarship to one (or two) students each year who are an ordained monk or nun of any religious order. Preference is given to applicants who have chosen monasticism as a lifelong path and whose commitments or vows include restrictions on future income (i.e. vows of poverty or the like.) Whether you’re Buddhist or looking to study the religion’s practices, make sure you know of all the awards offers by your university.
San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin Scholarships
Application Deadlines:
Varies
The following scholarships are offered to San Jose Betsuin graduating seniors whose families are current members of the San Jose Betsuin for a minimum of one year:/HTMLCHUNK_4/
* San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin Scholarship
* Ray and Lucy Matsumoto Scholarship
* James Takeo Hashimoto Memorial Scholarship
* San Jose Buddhist Church Adult Buddhist Association (ABA) Scholarship
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Tzu Chi Scholars Program
Application Deadlines:
March 09, Annually
The Tzu Chi Scholars program is a scholarship program funded by the Tzu Chi Foundation to recognize and to assist outstanding college-bound high school graduates financially. Tzu Chi Scholars are selected on the basis of their financial need, academic achievement, and community involvement. Each scholar will be awarded a total of $1,000. A small number of Scholars may be further recognized for a [...] More