2026 HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR Scholarships
Application Deadline: February 28, 2026
To bring awareness, understanding, and advocacy to the LGBTQ+ community, with a specific emphasis on the youth in our community, Alton Pride offers scholarships to assist in furthering our awardees' education by attending a community college, trade school, or university.
Applicants must be in their senior year of high school, volunteer at least 20 hours with Alton Pride or another non-profit community organization, submit a 300-word essay, and a completed application by the deadline.
Four Scholarships to be Awarded in 2026
Roadecker “Roe” Watts Award - $1000
Well-known in Alton's LGBTQ+ community, Roe's former co-workers at JCPenney rallied to make a donation to Alton Pride to establish a scholarship in his memory.
Debbie Paynic Award - $1000
Debbie was an early supporter of Alton Pride and a shining star in our community. To honor her memory, our Board of Directors voted unanimously to establish a scholarship in her name.
Harvey Milk Award - $1000
RuPaul Charles Award - $1000
2026 Essay Prompt
Use this prompt to craft and submit a 300-500 word essay
If you could start a project, club, event, or movement for LGBTQ+ youth in the Riverbend area, what would it be? Share the idea, how you would implement it, what resources you would need, and why it matters.
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PRO TIP: Write your essay on your own system and platform of choice so you can easily edit and make adjustments. Be ready to copy/paste into the application form.
Tell Us Where to Invest
This year’s essay prompt invites students to share their creativity and help inform how Alton Pride invests newly awarded funding for local youth programming. Whether the student has LGBTQ+ lived experience or considers themselves an ally, we want their insight.