$30,000 Financial Aid Award for Women
- Organization: Pave HER Way
- Type: Grant
- Location: United States
- Deadline: October 16, 2026
- Funding: Fully Funded
Pave HER Way is a Los Angeles based national nonprofit that funds women who are removing barriers for other women. Its need-based award gives up to $30,000 to a woman who knows what she wants to do but needs the money to get there, whether that is tuition, a training course, rent and food, childcare, or an emergency she did not plan for. Up to ten awards are available in this first 2026 cycle, and you may apply for this award or the organisation's $90,000 Disruptor Award, never both. **What you get:** - A need-based grant of up to $30,000. Up to ten awards are available in the 2026 cycle, and the amount you receive is set at Pave HER Way's discretion - Money across four categories, and you may request more than one in a single application: tuition, fees and other qualified educational expenses at an eligible institution; certificate and workforce training, conferences, workshops, mentorship or apprenticeship costs; food, rent, transport and other basic living costs; and childcare, medical expenses, utility assistance, disaster recovery or emergency housing - Funds paid out over a 24 month period, with budgets running from January 2027 - Mentorship, a cohort experience and access to the Pave HER Way network, all offered and none of them required - Category 1 scholarship money is paid directly to the eligible educational institution you name. Categories 2, 3 and 4 are paid to you, and money paid to you is taxable to you **What you'll do:** - Apply through Submittable, choosing the category or categories that describe how you plan to use the money and saying what you need it for - Supply the documentation your categories call for. Scholarship applicants may be asked for enrolment and financial aid records, and the form names everything required - Build a budget covering no longer than 24 months, starting January 2027 - Prove US citizenship or permanent residency if you reach the semifinalist stage, with a US passport or passport card, US birth certificate, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, or green card **Key dates:** - Applications opened August 31, 2026 - Applications close October 16, 2026 at 11:59pm PT - Decisions notified no later than December 31, 2026 - Funds disbursed over 24 months, with budget periods starting January 2027 **More information:** - The full Financial Aid Award Program Guidelines sit in the second half of paveherway.org/apply/grant-program-guidelines, below the Disruptor Award section - The 2026 application FAQ has its own Financial Aid Award tab on the apply page, covering the four categories, enrolment and documentation - Questions about eligibility, requirements or funding go to apply@paveherway.org
