Gold Scholars

The Gold Scholars Program powers incoming college freshmen to explore bold careers and uplift Asian Pacific communities.

Led by Gold House, and made possible by Nordstrom, the Gold Scholars Program provides recipients with a comprehensive support system to pursue creative or entrepreneurial careers, including:

• One-time $5,000 scholarship award
• Select Gold Scholars program specific events
• Build a community with other Gold Scholars

The Gold Scholars Program is designed to support students considering “nontraditional” career paths — often seen as unattainable by those from underserved and marginalized backgrounds. Gold Scholars will be recognized for their potential to succeed as creative professionals or entrepreneurs, as well as their commitment to advance Asian Pacific cultures and communities.

Requirements

Ideal 2026 Gold Scholar applicants should meet the following criteria:

• Currently enrolled and entering their freshmen year of college in Fall 2026 located in the United States (including U.S. territories)
• Cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Demonstrated strong interest in pursuing a career in entrepreneurship (such as a business founder or startup executive) or a career in a creative industry (such as art, design, fashion, film, literature, media, music, sports, theater, or other creative fields)
• Demonstrated commitment to supporting and uplifting Asian Pacific cultures or communities through academic, extracurricular, and/or personal experiences and goals

Application Instructions

The application deadline is 11:59pm PT on August 28, 2026.

Please be ready to answer or upload all the following to submit your application. You cannot save a partial application, so Gold House recommends that you prepare all answers and materials separately before your start.

Identification Information

• Full Name
• Preferred Pronouns (optional)
• Email
• Ethnic Background (optional)

Academic Information

• Resume (upload file)
• Academic Transcript (upload file)
• College Attending in Fall 2026
• Anticipated College Major(s) (optional)
• Business or Creative Portfolio/Sample (share link) (optional)
• Link to LinkedIn Profile (optional)

Short Essays

• Why would receiving this scholarship be meaningful to you? (250 Word Limit)
• Answer one of the questions below via a written response or video essay (200 Word Limit or 90 Second Limit): “Who is your role model and why?” “How have you started to pursue your dream job?” “How are you committed to uplifting the Asian Pacific community?”

If submitting a video essay, you can either (a) share a download link or (b) upload it to your social media and share that link.

Click here to access the application.