PepsiCo has announced plans to create a $40 million scholarship and professional mentoring program to assist Black and Hispanic students attending community colleges.
The Purchase-headquartered company and its philanthropic PepsiCo Foundation will initially partner with four schools ”“ Westchester Community College, Texas”™ Dallas College and Houston Community College, and City Colleges of Chicago ”“ and plans to expand the program to 16 additional cities in the fall, with the goal of supporting 4,000 students over five years.
The program will consist of two parts: Uplift Scholarships for students seeking two-year associate degrees or trade certificates and Success Matters in Life & Education (SMILE) scholarships for community college graduates transitioning to four-year colleges. The program will also offer students mentoring and leadership training from PepsiCo employees and opportunities to apply for internships and jobs at the company.
In a press statement, PepsiCo said it was only working with Black and Hispanic students because “students of color are more likely than white students to face challenges like access to affordable housing, childcare support, transportation and food, scholarship recipients will receive funding for education expenses like tuition and books as well as financial support for eligible living expenses.”
