Beyoncé celebrated historically black colleges during her groundbreaking Coachella Beychella set this past weekend, enlisting a phalanx of alumni from HBCUs from across the nation to perform alongside her. Now, Beyonce is taking her tribute a step further: her BeyGOOD foundation will be donating a £17,000 ($25,000) award to four different historically black universities as part of her BeyGOOD Homecoming Scholars program.
The four universities chosen for the BeyGOOD Homecoming Scholars Program include Xavier University, Wilberforce University, Tuskegee University and Bethune-Cookman University. The scholarship will be awarded to one student from each institution for the upcoming 2018-2019 academic year. Applicants will be selected from various majors including literature, African-American studies, science, engineering and more, and are required to maintain a 3.5 GPA or above.
Bey's homecoming-themed Coachella performance featured a marching band, majorette dancers, and HBeyCU merchandise. As if that wasn't enough to send the world into a tizzy, the singer reunited with Destiny's Child for a medley of hits, had a dance-off with sister Solange and brought out her husband, JAY-Z, for a rendition of 'Deja Vu,' all while keeping her makeup in tact.
'We salute the rich legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities,' says Ivy McGregor, director of philanthropy and corporate Relations at Beyonce's Parkwood Entertainment. 'We 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.'
The BeyGOOD Homecoming Scholars Program is the second initiative launched through BeyGOOD, following the 2017 Formation Scholars Program, which was inspired by her acclaimed album Lemonade. The Formation Scholars program was created to encourage and support young women to be bold and confident.
All finalists for the scholarship will be selected by the universities. Winners will be chosen by the summer.
Nerisha is the Beauty Commerce Editor at ELLE.com, covering all things beauty. She has a penchant for sneakers and nude lip glosses, and spends way too much time re-watching ’90s sitcoms.
