Buddhist College Scholarships

Even though Buddhism is one of the world's largest religions, in the U.S., Buddhists only represent a small portion of the population. While exact numbers are difficult to nail down, the Buddhist population was estimated to be about .7% in 2007, according to the CIA's World Fact Book. Because Buddhism represents a minority religion in the U.S., some Buddhist organizations have come together to provide support for young practitioners by putting scholarships in place to encourage them to gain a higher education. For the many Buddhists in the U.S. and for those who are interested in educating themselves in the religion and practice of Buddhism, scholarships may help them pay their way through college.

Some Buddhist temples and the organizations associated with them offer scholarships. The appropriate candidate for these scholarships generally has to have a high GPA, good academic standing and accomplishments, and may need to be a member of the Buddhist organization that is sponsoring the scholarship.

Some colleges and universities offer Buddhism scholarships for students interested in pursuing a degree in religious studies with a concentration in Buddhism. One such institution is Naropa University, a liberal arts institution in Colorado dedicated to contemplative education (see Naropa's scholarship information here). Several U.S. universities and colleges are Buddhist schools, such as the Dharma Realm Buddhist University. Many of these schools offer both bachelor's degrees and master's degrees in Buddhist studies, and they may also provide scholarship funding to students who are in financial need and meet several other requirements.

As is true of most scholarships, private funding organizations may also provide scholarships to Buddhist students and to scholars of Buddhism. Two of these organizations are the Tzu-Chi Foundation and the Khyentse Foundation.

List of Buddhist Scholarships

• Khyentse Foundation Scholarships — Scholarships are available to those who wish to study at Buddhist institutions to further their knowledge of Buddhist studies and practice.


• Tzu-Chi Scholarship — $1,000 need-based scholarship awarded each year through the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation to outstanding college-bound freshman high school graduates. See here for more information.

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Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.