UNCF Partners with DeVry University to Help Students of Color Gain Work-Ready Skills More Quickly

UNCF is helping students of color earn skills-based credentials in eight to 18 months through a new partnership with DeVry University. Together, the UNCF DeVry Gateway Scholarship will be offered to interested students, which will help provide access to DeVry’s certificate programs, with skills that can be applied immediately within the workforce.

UNCF, which supports education and development for minority students through scholarships and other academic programs will award the funds based on financial need over two years to students who enroll in one of DeVry’s 13 undergraduate certificate programs.

“Our partnership with DeVry University is unique because it is designed to help students earn work-ready skills in a short time,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, UNCF president and CEO. “This is an important commitment to helping equip the students we serve with up-to-date work skills that can add to their earning potential and also provide a gateway to tech-related fields where students of color have traditionally been underrepresented. It is our goal that these students also see this as an opportunity to go further in their education—to a four-year or graduate degree at an HBCU.”

Students applying for the UNCF DeVry Gateway Scholarship can enroll in one of DeVry’s 13 undergraduate certificate programs in four areas of study: technology, business, healthcare and media arts. Since summer 2020, DeVry expanded its certificate offerings to include nine new technology-driven programs that do not require prior IT experience to enroll.

“We are pleased to offer scholarship support to further the UNCF’s efforts in helping students of color gain access to educational opportunities, and build skills critical in today’s digitally driven workforce,” said Tom Monahan, president and CEO at DeVry University. “For 90 years, DeVry has embraced its tech heritage and we’re honored to have an opportunity to create an entry point for introducing technology curriculum to underserved populations. We are committed to offering innovative programs that help empower students to meaningfully improve their lives, communities and workplaces.”

For additional details about the scholarship, including deadlines, please visit https://scholarships.uncf.org/ToProgram/UNCFDeVryGateway.  In addition to high school students considering a certificate program, the partnership also allows adult learners, non-traditional and continuing students and UNCF-member HBCU staff and UNCF’s employees the opportunity to enroll at DeVry in 2021.

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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. UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20% of African American baccalaureate degrees. 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 DeVry University 

DeVry University strives to close society’s opportunity gap by preparing learners to thrive in careers shaped by continuous technological change. Founded in 1931 by Dr. Herman DeVry, the university offers online and hybrid undergraduate and graduate programs in academic disciplines that prepare students to thrive in the digital economy. The university is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC, www.hlcommission.org/). To learn more, visit devry.edu.