Coding Bootcamp Scholarships for LGBTQ+ Students

Updated April 21, 2023

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Reviewed by Angelique Geehan

Although many corporations have pledged support to the LGBTQ+ community in recent years by sponsoring pride events and engaging in marketing that embraces LGBTQ+ rights, people who identify as LGBTQ+ still face challenges in the workplace.

According to research from the Williams Institute and McKinsey & Company, LGBTQ+ individuals are underrepresented in management roles — especially LQBTQ+ professionals who do not identify as men.

Additionally, according to a survey by the Human Rights Campaign and PSB Research, 17% of LGBTQ+ workers lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 13% of non-LGBTQ+ individuals.

So what can be done to help level the playing field for the LGBTQ+ community? One possibility is to increase access to educational opportunities in order to broaden the employment pathways available to LGBTQ+ individuals. This means expanding access to college education, but also to nontraditional educational programs such as coding bootcamps.

In recent years, coding bootcamps have been increasing in popularity among individuals who want to pursue a new career in tech. Since these programs usually take only a few months to complete, they allow students to enter the workforce more quickly than if they had decided to pursue a college degree. However, coding bootcamps can be expensive: The average coding bootcamp costs around $13,580.

At many of the best coding bootcamps, scholarships provide a way to make it easier for LGBTQ+ people to afford these programs. This guide highlights a few of the coding bootcamp scholarships available to members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Coding Bootcamps for You

Bootcamp Scholarships That Distribute the Most Funds

For students who want to attend code bootcamps, scholarships can sometimes make the difference between being able to attend a bootcamp or not. LGBTQ+ individuals who want to improve their tech skills can take advantage of the following coding bootcamp scholarships to reduce the cost of their training.

Code Platoon

Code Platoon targets military spouses and veterans, helping them transition smoothly into the civilian workforce. The bootcamp provider offers a transgender veteran scholarship that covers the full $16,000 cost of the program. Code Platoon awards this scholarship to a member of the transgender community who is a veteran or military spouse.

Tech Elevator

Tech Elevator offers the Represent Tech Scholarship, which is awarded to students from groups underrepresented in tech, including women, transgender indiviuals, and nonbinary individuals. The winner of this scholarship receives $13,175, which equals 85% of the full tuition cost for a Tech Elevator bootcamp ($15,500). Candidates must be accepted into the upcoming cohort and enrolled in order to apply for this scholarship.

DevPoint Labs

The Opportunity in Tech Scholarship from DevPoint Labs awards 50% off the cost of tuition. The scholarship considers applicants from a variety of backgrounds, including LGBTQ+ individuals. The bootcamp also offers a separate 50% tuition scholarship for women. DevPoint Labs' full-time bootcamp costs $11,000 and its part-time bootcamp costs $5,500.

Fullstack Academy

Fullstack Academy offers the Edie Windsor Scholarship in partnership with Lesbians Who Tech. To qualify, applicants must be gender-nonconforming individuals or LGBTQ+ women. The scholarship covers half of the tuition for a Fullstack Academy bootcamp, which cost $14,500-$17,910.

Turing School

Turing School offers two Diversity Scholarships to each of its cohorts, which award $4,000 toward Turing School's $20,000 bootcamp tuition. To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must be veterans, people with disabilities, people of color, women, or LGBTQ+ individuals. Candidates must be accepted to Turing School before applying for the scholarship, which requires writing an essay.

Comprehensive List of Coding Bootcamp Scholarships for LGBTQ+ Students

To explore more coding bootcamp scholarships available to members of the LGBTQ+ community, explore our comprehensive list of bootcamp scholarships. This list includes 13 scholarships for LGBTQ+ individuals. You can also find scholarships for women, veterans, people of color, and people with disabilities.

Scholarships for LGBTQ+ People

Frequently Asked Questions About Paying for Bootcamps

Bootcamp programs typically are not accredited, so prospective students should do some careful research to determine if a program offers high-quality instruction. Prospective students should explore the course curriculum, career services, and student outcomes, including graduation rates and job placement rates. Individuals can also reach out to bootcamp alumni they find on LinkedIn to discuss the program.

Although students attending bootcamps do not qualify for federal financial aid, there are other forms of financial aid for coding bootcamps. For example, many bootcamp providers partner with lenders to offer private loans for bootcamp students. Other ways to pay for a coding bootcamp include installments, scholarships, deferred tuition plans, income share agreements, and GI Bill� funding.

With a deferred tuition plan or income share agreement (ISA) you will usually pay more than the upfront cost of the bootcamp. With both payment options, students pay the bulk of their tuition after they graduate and find a job.

With a deferred tuition plan, the tuition amount is set in advance and is often 1.3-1.7 times higher than the upfront tuition cost. Alternatively, an ISA requires bootcamp graduates to pay a fixed percentage of their income over a set period of time or until they reach a payment cap. Many ISAs now have payment caps, which are also often 1.3-1.7 times higher than the upfront tuition.

Reviewed by:

Angelique Geehan

Angelique Geehan works to support and repair the connections people have to themselves and their families, communities, and cultural practices. A queer, Asian, gender-binary, nonconforming parent, Geehan founded Interchange, a consulting group that offers anti-oppression support. She organizes as part of several groups, including National Perinatal Association's Health Equity Workgroup, the Health and Healing Justice Committee of the National Queer and Trans Asian and Pacific Islander Alliance, QTPOC+ Family Circle, and Batalá Houston.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/index.asp.