The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) has received a $10 million donation from Hennessy to launch a new fellowship program to support the next generation of African American leaders.
To increase diversity in corporate leadership, the Hennessy Fellows graduate program will provide financial assistance, access to training and professional development experiences, and real-world skill application to students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), according to a press release.
“The issue of financial aid is not only limited to undergraduate students on our HBCU campuses. Limited resources for graduate students also lead to the student drop off,” Dr. David Wilson, president of Morgan State University, said.
Each year for the next 10 years, the TMCF will select ten high-potential graduate students enrolled in accredited HBCU or PBI graduate programs.
Fellows will be provided up to $20,000 per academic year, in addition to a $10,000 annual stipend for other educational expenses and access to online training forums, professional development experiences, boot camps, and networking events.
Dr. Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of TMCF, said the partnership is a game changer for African-American students and the community at large.
“When such a tremendously successful global brand like Hennessy invests in a higher education non-profit like ours, it tells the world that HBCUs and PBIs have value and are worth investing in, and TMCF is the best steward to carry out such a monumental investment,” Williams said.
Applications for the program will be accepted through May 5, 2019.
Barriers Restrict Black Students from Attending College [Study]