It's nearly back-to-school time, which makes it the right time to talk about scholarships.
For GRAMMY winner Rihanna, this meant announcing on Aug. 1 that her Clara Lionel Foundation will partner with the bike sharing company Ofo to fund scholarships for girls in the southeast African country of Malawi.
The initiative, called 1 KM Action, will help Malawian students complete secondary school, as well as provide them with bicycles through Ofo to get to and from school, removing two crucial barriers to educational access, especially for girls. Rihanna was inspired to take action after her January 2017 trip to the impoverished country in conjunction with Global Citizen and the Global Partnership for Education.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VqmFKnHG5q8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
While Rihanna chose to go international, if you're a U.S.-based student looking for your own scholarship closer to home, don't worry, there's also GRAMMY winners for that! Because who doesn't need some extra money for school?
In April, Beyoncé announced her Formation Scholars program, which will award four scholarships to "female incoming, current or graduate students pursuing studies in creative arts, music, literature, or African-American studies" at one of four schools: Berklee College of Music, Howard University, Parsons School of Design, and Spelman College.
Beyoncé Establishes Formation Scholars For Female Students
Similarly, Jay Z's Shawn Carter Foundation offers scholarships to underserved youth and young adults to remove the barriers of entry for college. The program is unique because it requires selected scholars to give back to the foundation by performing community service and serving as mentors to younger potential scholarship recipients.
GRAMMY winner Alicia Keys' Open Door Scholarship also asks scholarship recipients to give back through community service and by publicly representing the organization at their schools. Started in 2007 in conjunction with her road manager D.J. Walton's nonprofit Frum Tha Ground Up, scholarships are awarded to students in need in Jacksonville, Fla., New Orleans, Atlanta, and New York City's Harlem neighborhoods.
GRAMMY-winning artist/producer will.i.am has also gotten in on the action with his i.am scholarship, which has been awarded since 2009 to college students in need.
"I know my purpose is to continue to inspire young people because it's just going to keep inspiring me back," said will.i.am. "I want to do my part. I want to invest in America's future and I want to send you to college. i.am here to let you know that you can be anything you want to be. You are the future of the world."
In partnership with the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, artists such as Enrique Iglesias and Juan Luis Guerra have provided scholarships for Berklee College of Music students pursuing Latin music. Like will.i.am, Guerra wants to help students build their personal futures while also strengthening our culture at large.
"In addition to the financial support that the scholarship represents, it's about the opportunity to develop the talent of a Latino student to the fullest," Guerra said. "That will enormously benefit our culture and our music."
So if any of these scholarships sound like you, an application is only a click away. We can't wait to see what big things you do next.
More Education: GRAMMY Winners Spark Inspiration For College Courses
