As if she wasn’t enough of an absolute queen already, Beyoncé has gone even higher in our estimations, having announced a new scholarship program though her BeyGOOD initiative, aimed at students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
The scholarships, known as the Homecoming Scholars Award, consist of four awards of $25,000 each for one student from each of the four eligible HBCUs: Xavier University, Wilberforce University, Tuskegee University and Bethune-Cookman University.
It follows her triumphant set at Coachella last weekend, in which she made history by becoming the first black woman to headline the festival in its 19-year run, with her energetic performance paying tribute to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She was joined by her husband Jay-Z, her Destiny’s Child bandmates and her sister Solange, wowing fans so much that there were calls to rename the festival Beychella. Not bad for a day’s work!
This isn’t the first time Beyoncé’s offered university scholarships, as her charitable BeyGOOD initiative also launched Formation Scholars Awards Program in April 2017, a merit-based program which provided $25,000 to four female students studying creative arts, music, literature or African-American studies, with the aim to encourage and support “young women who are bold, creative, conscious, confident and unafraid to think outside of the box”.
What is a Historically Black College?
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are higher education institutions in the US that were founded before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and were therefore established to primarily serve the African-American community. This is because racial segregation meant many black students were disqualified from attending predominantly white institutions.
There are more than 100 HBCUs in the US, which are committed to educating all students, regardless of race, and are generally more affordable than their counterparts. Many of them were also established with a liberal arts focus.
In a statement issued on Beyoncé’s website, Ivy McGregor, Director of Philanthropy and Corporate Relations at Parkwood Entertainment which houses BeyGOOD, said: "We salute the rich legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, [and] honor all institutions of higher learning for maintaining culture and creating environments for optimal learning which expands dreams and the seas of possibilities for students."
How to get a Homecoming Scholars Award
The Homecoming Scholars Award is open to all students, regardless of gender, and can be used to study one of the following subjects at one of the eligible universities in 2018/19: literature, creative arts, African- American studies, science, education, business, communications, social sciences, computer science and engineering. You’ll need to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or above.
Applications should be made via the official website of your chosen university, with all finalists and winners selected by them (not Beyoncé, which puts some pressure off…). Winners will be announced this summer.
Best of luck to those of you who apply!
