Some fortunate students will receive funding to help support their educational journey.
Northwestern Mutual recently announced it will issue more than $2.5 million in grants and scholarships over the next five years to 136 students from local pipeline schools via its new HBCU Connection Scholarship program.
“If we want to see change in our community, it’s imperative we invest in students who will pave the way for the generations to come,” said Northwestern Mutual Foundation president Steve Radke in a news release.
The program kicked off by granting its inaugural cohort of nine recipients with $7.5K annually their freshman and sophomore years, followed by paid corporate internship opportunities the summer following junior year and senior year respectively, per the news release. The internships will offer bridge opportunities to secure full-time jobs with the organization upon their graduation.
The pipeline opportunity comes at a particularly crucial time as Black students face a world post-affirmative action.
As ESSENCE previously reported the Supreme Court ruled last month that the “[r]ace-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina are unconstitutional,” and both are in violation of the Equal Protection Clause.
“Our investment will provide these students with access to education and the opportunity to bring diverse perspectives and contributions to their prospective employers,” Radke said. “Our commitment goes beyond financial aid; we offer authentic support throughout the entire process.”
