The credit card giant Visa, has announced the inaugural class of the Visa Black Scholars and Jobs Program, awarding 50 college students scholarship assistance for up to four years.
The program is designed for college-bound Black American students in the U.S. High school seniors pursuing an education in business or technology and intend to enroll in a four-year college or university in the U.S. are eligible for the scholarship program.
The inaugural class will also participate in a Scholars Summit at Visa’s headquarters in 2022 and receive year-round training to develop their professional and technical skills. Scholars will also receive opportunities for paid internships and those who meet the program requirements, will be offered full-time positions at Visa upon graduation.
“We are honored to recognize this group of extremely talented students and to support their educational aspirations through the Visa Black Scholars and Jobs Program,” Kelly Mahon Tullier, Visa Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer and program mentor said in a release. “At Visa, we believe that change starts with action and we are committed to advancing racial equality and closing the opportunity gap. Through this program, we are supporting a pipeline of diverse future leaders in the business and technology sectors.”
The program was established in a partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and includes a $10 million investment over the next five years. The 50 scholars will be attending schools across the country including Brown University, Georgia Tech, Harvard University, Morehouse College
and North Carolina A&T.Visa Scholars will also receive mentors that will help them transition from high school to college and from college into the professional ranks. The mentorship program is designed to further scholars’ personal, academic and professional development and teach career and life skills.
Scholars will have direct access to their mentors throughout the program. The mentors will regularly interact with the students and provide consistent support. Scholars and mentors were selected and paired based on specific criteria and eligibility requirements.