Goodarzi Scholarship Grant (B)

Under the auspices of Sasan and Shirin Goodarzi, the Goodarzi Scholarship Grant provides financial assistance designed to aid students in California. This grant is awarded to LGBTQ+ community of Iranian descent who are enrolled at an accredited institution of higher education in California.

The maximum award granted to each student within a year is $10,000. Students who manage to continue their education up to a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree while also maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher may be eligible to receive financial assistance for the duration of their studies. Mr. and Mrs. Goodarzi will interview selected candidates and make the final decision on scholarship recipients.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Immigrant of Iranian descent
  • Immigrated to the United States within the last 7 years
  • Enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited institution in California
  • Demonstrates financial need
  • Maintains a GPA of 3.0 or higher

How To Apply

Applicants must submit a completed application by July 15, 2024 of each year to be considered for the following school year calendar. The application package must include the following: To complete the application form, please click here. In order to access the application, log in with your Google username and password, then fill out the intake form and upload all the requested documents. The sign-in requirement is implemented to increase the online data security. Please take the time to read over the entire application, complete all pages, and submit all the required documents. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

  • School transcripts and testing records
  • A Letter of Acceptance from an accredited college or university in California
  • Income tax forms from the applicant and applicant’s parents for the past two years (An applicant may bring this document to the interview session.)
  • A personal essay in which the applicant: o Writes about applicant’s goals o Writes about the reasons applicant chose their field of study o Writes about applicant’s future plans after graduation o Maintains personal voice in writing; being creative yet thoughtful o The personal essay must be coherent and polished, within 750-900 words, and doubled-spaced.
  • One letter of recommendation from a current or former professor that can speak to academic achievements, career aspirations, character, and circumstances

Applicants must agree to appear in promotional and advertising materials.

Application Process

  1. Applicant submits application by July 15, 2024. 
  2. Committee reads and reviews all applications by will be announced. 
  3. Committee recommends ten applicants for final review,
  4. Mr. & Mrs. Goodarzi meet with the runners-up,
  5. Mr. & Mrs. Goodarzi announce the two finalists to receive financial assistance, 
  6. Pars Equality Center announces the recipients’ names to the public, 
  7. The scholarship checks are made payable to the University and will be mailed to the awardees. 

            If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email us at info@parsequalitycenter.org.Â