The coaching scholarships can fund up to 2 each of the following:

• Women's Coach Development

• BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Coach Development

The Scholarships will be awarded based on the following criteria:

• Applicants must meet all requirements and deadlines.

• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years of age or older at the time of the Coaching Course, and a member of the BIPOC community or women’s community.

• Applicants must live in the Carolinas.

• Applicants demonstrate Scholarship need.

• Applicants who are working, or plan to work, with underserved populations in a weightlifting or sport capacity, are preferred.

• Applicants with experience in the sport of weightlifting as an athlete or as a coach, are preferred.

• Applications seeking Level 1 coaching courses are preferred, though applications Level 2 coaching courses will still be reviewed.

Scholarship award details:

• Application Deadline is April 30th, 2026, 11:59PM EST

• Applications will be reviewed by Carolinas WSO Representatives, and awarded by May 31, 2026.

• The Scholarship award is for the cost of the registration fee for a USAW Level 1 or Level 2 Coaching Course ($549). Any travel, incidental, or additional costs for attending the coaching course are the responsibility of the Recipient. This is paid by the Carolinas WSO and USAW, each covering 50% of the cost.

• Recipients have six months from notification of scholarship award to attend a course.