Wilmington’s 7th annual HBCU Week and College Fair starts September 17th.
The event was founded in 2017 as a way for students to experience and learn about what historically Black colleges and universities have to offer.
HBCU Week Foundation founder Ashley Christopher says it's difficult to put into words the impact that HBCUs can have on students.
“An HBCU gave me the opportunity to truly embrace, learn, and love my culture,” explained Christopher. “And it gave me the confidence to know that no matter what room I walk into my voice is valuable, it's necessary, I'm needed, and I deserve to be there. It's a sense of confidence I'm not sure I would have gotten if I went to a predominantly white college, and it's a layer of confidence that I believe every Black student deserves to have.”
She adds that’s why she’s an advocate for pushing students to consider HBCUs.
HBCU Week festivities emulate an authentic HBCU homecoming experience, with activities such as concerts, block parties, and Battle of the Bands.
25 HBCUs will participate in this year’s event, with admissions representatives from each on site at the official HBCU College Fair Sept. 22nd at the Chase Fieldhouse.
“There at the fair students can compete for on the spot college acceptances and scholarship awards. So if you’re a graduating senior, and you have your requisite SAT or ACT score, and transcript with your GPA you can be accepted into college on the spot. Since 2017 we've been able to offer more than 6,000 acceptances on the spot, and $60 million in scholarships,” said Christopher.
150 students can receive a $40,000 FOSSI scholarship to study STEM at an HBCU.
And there are 7 other scholarships available, including a $10,000 Purzycki ChangeMaker scholarship from the City of Wilmington.
All scholarship applications go live on September 22nd during the College Fair.
More information on scholarships and the schedule of events for HBCU Week can be found online at hbcuweek.org.
