Next-Gen Opportunities Unlocked! UNCF and Fidelity Investments Announce the Fidelity Scholars Program is Now Available in Seven States

Applications for new scholarships open today!

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) and Fidelity Investments today announced the Fidelity Scholars Program is expanding to Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico and Washington, DC, in addition to its current presence in Massachusetts, North Carolina and Texas.

In January, UNCF received its largest philanthropic corporate gift in its 78-year history from Fidelity Investments Fidelity donated $190 million to UNCF as part of its $250 million Invest in My Education (ME)℠  initiative. This new social impact initiative provides access to education, and ongoing support to students from underrepresented populations and historically underserved communities who have faced systemic barriers and challenges to economic mobility.

The Fidelity Scholars Program features annually renewable, need based, last-dollar scholarships with comprehensive wrap-around support services to eligible students.

In addition to scholarship dollars, Fidelity Scholars have access to a range of tools and resources to help them complete school and find good jobs. This includes Fidelity mentors, health and wellness support, financial education, college success coaches and more.

For this round of applications, which is open Oct. 16, 2023, through Jan. 11, 2024, students must be high school seniors or have a GED certificate and be in the process of preparing to enter a bachelor’s degree program for the first time at an accredited not-for-profit four-year college or university including minority serving institutions (MSIs) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) within the state of their residence.

The Fidelity Scholars Program also welcomes students who are pursuing a two-year degree or a certificate program for the first time. The two-year degree and certificate application window will open in the spring of 2024.

Students in the inaugural class of Fidelity Scholars are now off to college. Two hundred students from Massachusetts, North Carolina and Texas, where the program was first offered, have taken their first steps toward a financially stable future. Sixty-five percent of these students are the first in their families to attend college. Learn more about the 2023 Class of Scholars here.

Today, the application process for the second year of the Fidelity Scholars program opens, giving more students the life-changing opportunity to earn a college degree with little or no debt.

Eligible students in the six states and Washington, DC, have from now until Jan. 11, 2024, to apply at UNCF.org/FidelityScholars.

By making higher education more accessible and affordable, the Fidelity Scholars Program has the potential to provide greater economic mobility and a pathway to generational wealth, improving long-term outcomes for students and their communities.

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About UNCF

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. While totaling only 3% of all colleges and universities, UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 13% of bachelor’s degrees, 5% of master’s degrees, 10% of doctoral degrees and 24% of all STEM degrees earned by Black students in higher education. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”^® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

About Fidelity Investments

Fidelity’s mission is to inspire better futures and deliver better outcomes for the customers and businesses we serve. With assets under administration of $11.7 trillion, including discretionary assets of $4.5 trillion as of June 30, 2023, we focus on meeting the unique needs of a diverse set of customers. Privately held for over 75 years, Fidelity employs more than 60,000 associates who are focused on the long-term success of our customers. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit https://www.fidelity.com/about-fidelity/our-company.