Clark West and Elliot Mitchell partnered with The Point Foundation in 2018 to offer UNA students a chance for the Patti Sue Mathis scholarship for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The Point Foundation will assess students on their track record of leadership and community involvement, strong academic achievement, work for the betterment of the LGBTQ community and their financial need, according to pointfoundation.org. The scholarship amount is based on need, but the average is $10,000 per student.

To qualify, students must meet these requirements: enrolled full time as an undergraduate or graduate student, if enrolled in high school or community college the student must be transferring to a four-year institution and must be an open member of the LGBTQ community. Students can be in any major or field of study.

“We also recommend that students not be shy and put as much information on the application about their activities, community service and campus involvement as possible,” said Point Foundation Program Director Jonathan Rosales.

Rosales said there will only be one recipient of the Patti Sue scholarship, but The Point Foundation gives out several scholarships every year and if there is more than one student at UNA that is worthy of receiving one, then there can be multiple recipients from the university.

Students can apply for the scholarship on The Point Foundation website. Scholarship applications close Jan. 28 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Finalists will fly to Los Angeles for an in-person interview April 25-27.

Mathis, who was part of the LGBTQ community, took her life in 1995 at age 22. Nathan Mathis, Patti Sue’s father, said his daughter’s suicide was because of the lack of acceptance she encountered when she came out as a lesbian.

“In our older age, I really feel like we’re doing what our hearts want us to do,” according to West said in an article on al.com.

West and Elliot also pledged $250,000 Oct. 9 to establish the Center of Social Inclusion at UNA.