PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — There's good news for area high school students bound for historically Black colleges and universities.
The Novartis US Foundation and Thurgood Marshall College Fund have partnered to fund scholarships, mentorships and research grants for future leaders in health science, technology and business-related fields.
As part of a mission to address health inequity and support the economic and educational positions of communities of color, 26 HBCUs will participate in the program, including Lincoln University.
"Novartis recognizing that HBCUs have always been part of the solution in supporting the African American community," said Harry Williams, president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
"We've been doing this for 150 years. Without HBCUs, there wouldn’t be a Black middle class as we know it today."
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It's a long-term, 10-year $20 million program.
"$10,000 for undergraduate students for three years which is a maximum of $30,000," Williams explained.
"Colleges keep increasing in terms of price, and when we can find an avenue to provide scholarships to reduce that debt, that will eliminate a barrier that some of our students face."
There will also be opportunities for internships. "Those medical students, business students and technology students that are looking for opportunities, they can do an internship which will help them after they graduate," said Williams.
Recipients will also have access to training and mentorship, and in addition, 10 research grants of $25,000 a year will be offered to HBCU faculty, totaling up to 90 grants over nine years.
"We are anticipating over the 10-year period we will have impacted about 1,200 students with the mentorship program," Williams shared. "Close to 400 students will receive scholarships and about 90 faculty members will have received grants."
Applications will be accepted through February 28.