The North Idaho Pride Alliance is launching a scholarship for local high school seniors.

The organization will award two $1,500 scholarships to Region 1 high school or home-school seniors planning to attend a college, university or trade school during the 2026-2027 academic year. The deadline to apply is April 1.

In a news release, NIPA said this initiative fulfills one of the organization’s founders' earliest dreams and coincides with NIPA’s 10th anniversary. 

LGBTQ+ people in North Idaho are navigating “an increasingly hostile and isolating environment,” according to NIPA, where “many are being pushed out of public spaces, rendered invisible and denied basic human rights.” 

“In this climate, our Pride Scholarship aims to offer something too many young people struggle to find: hope, affirmation, opportunity, and tangible support,” said NIPA Executive Director Dr. Sarah Lynch. “This scholarship is more than financial assistance. It is a message to LGBTQIA2S+ youth that they are valued, they are seen and they deserve a future filled with possibility.” 

For LGBTQ+ youth in rural and under-resourced areas like North Idaho, access to supportive pathways into higher education is limited, according to NIPA. 

Through the new scholarship, the organization aims to help open doors to higher education. 

Info: www.nipridealliance.com/pride-scholarships