The Female Leadership Scholarship is one of the donor-funded Golden Benefactor Awards at University of the West (UWest) in Rosemead, California. Donor Mike Wong set it up to encourage a greater presence of women teachers in Buddhism.
It gives one $500 award to a female UWest student in the Divinity in Buddhist Chaplaincy or Religious Studies program. The Financial Aid Committee reviews applications in fall and spring rounds; the policy file is labelled 2022–23 but is the one UWest links today.
Benefits & funding
- One $500 scholarship, used in the semester it is awarded.
- At most one Golden Benefactor Award per student per semester; it cannot be combined with the IBEF, President’s or Lotus scholarships unless the committee grants a petition for exceptional need.
- Recipients must write a semester report on their academic progress for the donor.
Eligibility
- Female students only.
- Enrolled in the Divinity in Buddhist Chaplaincy program (first priority) or the Religious Studies program (second); students in any other program are not eligible.
- UWest continuing undergraduate or graduate students who have already completed one full-time semester in a degree program.
- Full-time: at least 12 units (undergraduate) or 9 units (graduate). This award’s own text admits final-semester students, though the general Golden Benefactor policy excludes them.
- Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
- Registered for the next semester by the deadline.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
“Open to UWest undergraduate and graduate full-time students, including those in their last semester.” Eligibility
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Master Enrolled · PhD Enrolled
Gender requirement
Female
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Application process
- 1Complete and sign the Golden Benefactor Awards application form, including its financial need analysis.
- 2Write a typed, double-spaced Statement of Objectives of up to 500 words.
- 3Deliver both to the UWest Office of Financial Aid by the semester deadline; the policy names mail and in-person delivery and gives conflicting lines on email.
- 4One application is considered for every Golden Benefactor Award you qualify for.
Program timeline
December 14, 2026
Spring 2027 deadline (first Monday after fall ends December 13).
January 11, 2027
Spring 2027 semester begins.
May 17, 2027
Fall 2027 deadline (first Monday after spring ends May 16).