Jay-Z has always given back to the community and now, he's launched a new program to propel the generations to come in all fronts of life. The world-famous musician has started a scholarship through his foundation, the Shawn Carter Foundation, for students who want to study abroad.
Jay-Z has a scholarship for students that want to study abroad.
- Revolution Televised (@1970revolution) April 29, 2019
It's VERY real.
I know a few students who have received it. https://t.co/VGb2V5p2j7
The foundation's website explains that the scholarship is the brainchild of Hova's charity organization and the Institute for International Education(IIE)/Gilman International Scholarship Program. The program was initiated to 'expand the global experiences and leadership opportunities for underserved students through [the] establishment of full study-abroad scholarship'.
As per the foundation's data, nearly 64 per cent of the organization's scholars are first-generation college students. The selected students are required to finish a service project while they are abroad, explains the foundation's website. The Shawn Carter Foundation has given a similar opportunity to students from colleges such as Princeton, Temple University, and Temple University.
Data shows that Black students studying abroad made up only six per cent of the total number of students enrolled in study abroad programs. Studying abroad is also pretty heavy on a person's wallet. The International Institute of Education estimates that a semester abroad can cost about $18,000. For locations like Paris, the total cost can go as high as $35,000.
Students who participated in the program left testimonials on the Shawn Carter Foundation website. Elvia Ramirez-Vidal, a student from Temple University, chose to study in San Jose, Costa Rica. About the experience, she said: " I have always loved learning, but once I began my study abroad experience, I realized that learning does not solely occur in a classroom. Everyone, from the tour guides to my host family, became my teachers, and I learned what it truly means to be a global citizen."
Brittany Hardy, a student from Princeton, said that the scholarship was very important for students to experience the world and 'branch out'. "I believe investing in study abroad is important because we should not limit ourselves to our daily routine. We should want to branch out and see life in someone else's perspective," she shared.
You can learn more about the scholarship here.
