The Blk Pwr Coalition (BPC) has announced the initiation of a scholarship program designed to support self-identifying African American students at the University of Wisconsin during their college journeys. According to a recent Instagram post, the scholarship program offers four distinct opportunities tailored to various focus areas, including Academic Achievement, Bridge to Success, BPC Changemaker, and Organizational Excellence.
Jonah Dixon, Managing Officer of the BPC, underscored the program’s objective to celebrate and incentivize Black excellence on campus. “The scholarship was created to reward and encourage Black excellence here on our campus,” Dixon remarked. “We recognized a need to give back to our campus community and felt that a scholarship would be an excellent way to recognize the hard work of Black students.”
Jekiah Manor, Chief Officer of the BPC, emphasized the organization’s commitment to supporting Black students’ success at the university. The scholarship awards aim to provide assistance to students in various aspects of their academic journey, reflecting the BPC’s dedication to empowering Black students on campus.
Acknowledging the financial challenges faced by Black students, Manor highlighted the scholarship’s role in addressing disproportionate financial barriers, which can impact expenses such as food and personal maintenance. “The goal of the BPC by creating the scholarships is to give Black students the full-time student experience their non-Black counterparts have,” Manor stated.
Funded by donations to the BPC, the scholarships aim to fill gaps in financial need that may not be covered by other scholarship opportunities. The application deadline for the scholarship program is May 1 at 11:59 p.m.
Manor expressed hopes for future expansion of the program to provide further financial assistance to Black students and student organizations. “Our idea behind it is seeking to fill the gaps in financial need that other scholarships and other grant applications don’t cover,” Manor concluded.
