Scholarship

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Founded in 1986, the Korean American University Professors Association (KAUPA) is a non-profit organization consisting of Korean-descendant professors in North America, with the common interest of promoting the betterment of society through their talents and expertise.

 

KAUPA is committed to helping students with their educational expenses while attending school in North America. The awarded amount of each scholarship will be dependent on the budget available for each academic year.

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General Scholarship Policy

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Application Deadline: September 30, 2026 (Late applications will NOT be accepted)

 

Scholarship types

There are two types of KAUPA scholarships – general and endowed. While the general scholarships are funded by the annual KAUPA membership fees, the endowed scholarships are funded by annual endowment funds. KAUPA may receive additional scholarship funds from industries, governments, organizations, and other various sources. In 2026, KAUPA will award the following scholarships:

 

1. General scholarships: Four applicants (each $500)

1. Endowed scholarship: Two applicants (each $1,000)

 

Qualifications of Applicants

KAUPA scholarships will be awarded to Korean descendants who, at the time of application, are either high school seniors who have been accepted to or have applied for admission to a college/university, or students actively pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree at a college/university. Applicants should aspire to pursue a career in an academic field in North America. 

Note: U.S. or Canadian citizenship is NOT required.

 

Application

Applicants should submit all of the following materials online at https://www.kaupa.org/scholarship-application or directly to the KAUPA Scholarship Coordinator, Dr. Wooyang Kim (wooyang.kim@mnstate.edu), by September 30, 2026:

 

• Application Form (Online)

• Transcript (An official or unofficial transcript issued by an educational institution)

• Curriculum Vitae or Résumé

• Application Essay: How to better prepare for your early career, enhance your competitiveness in the current job market, and contribute to your communities: challenges and strategies

• One or two letters of recommendation 

 

The General Scholarships are open to undergraduate and graduate students in all majors. While the areas and qualifications of the Endowed Scholarships are determined by the donors, the endowed scholarship recipients are selected from the same pool of the general scholarship applicants by the KAUPA Scholarship Selection Committee and the donor(s).

 

Selection of Grantees

The application materials will be reviewed by the KAUPA Scholarship Selection Committee in October 2026, and the final recipients will be selected in early November 2026 based on the aggregated scores from the Committee members. High school seniors must be enrolled in a college or a university at the time they receive the scholarships.

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