New scholarship fund created to support Black UO students
The UO Alumni Association (UOAA) and UO Black Alumni Network (UOBAN) are thrilled to announce the creation of the UO Black Alumni Network Student Support Fund.
This new scholarship program will provide financial support to first year, transfer, and graduate students to promote academic success as well as bridge historic wealth gaps by reducing student debt.
"The UOBAN scholarship is especially important to me because personally if it was not for scholarships, I would not have had the opportunity to pursue both an undergraduate and master’s degree from the University of Oregon,” said UOBAN Board Member Jamias "JJ" Jones, BA ’16 (business administration), MBA ’18 (general business). “During my time at the university, there were many Black students unable to finish their degree due to various financial hurdles. Because of this, the UOBAN scholarship will ensure that a student’s financial situation should not be the reason they are unable to pursue a degree."
Currently, Black students comprise just 2.5 percent of the UO undergraduate population, per the university’s data dashboard. Additionally, Black college graduates are disproportionately impacted by student loan debt, on average owing $25,000 more than White college graduates. Increased recruitment and retention of Black Ducks is a key goal of this new scholarship fund.
“The UO Alumni Association supports many student scholarships, and we are particularly excited to partner with our Black Alumni Network to establish this one,” said Raphe Beck, UOAA executive director. “The UOAA is a nonprofit organization separate from the university, and we have an opportunity to support the university’s goal to maintain a diverse student body. And the Black Alumni Network is uniquely qualified to provide mentorship to Black students as part of this program.”With a goal of providing full tuition and fee scholarships for in-state students and close to 50 percent tuition and fee scholarships for out-of-state students, the UOBAN can positively impact student enrollment, student-life experiences, and graduation rates for Black students at the UO.
"The UOBAN scholarship is an important and exciting opportunity for our campus community,” said Lesley-Ann Pittard, assistant vice president for campus and community engagement. “This scholarship affords access to excellence to Black students and ensures they can participate in the Mighty Oregon experience. Most importantly, it widens our ability as a globally recognized university to provide a world-class education."
The UOBAN has a goal of $2 million by 2024 and $10 million by 2028, to allow for increased student support over time. The UOBAN scholarship selection committee, consisting of UOBAN board directors, UO faculty and staff, UOAA board directors, and community members will select the scholarship recipients. These scholars will be awarded scholarships basis on academic and personal merit, in addition to having demonstrated leadership and involvement with the Black community.
Mariam Admasu, BA ’15 (family & human services), Anetra Brown, BS ’15 (sociology), and Canaan Briggins at the UOBAN's 2022 Reunion.
Kimberly Johnson, BS ’01 (ethnic studies) was in attendance as a Duck Legends Award Honoree for the scholarship unveiling at the UOBAN Reunion. She said she’s looking forward to seeing the new scholarship’s impact firsthand both as an alumna and in her role as UO vice provost for undergraduate education and student success.
“As an alumna and champion of student success, I know how critical direct impact scholarships can be for many students in making higher education attainable,” Johnson said. “I’m excited about the launch and plans to grow the UOBAN scholarship endowment, as it demonstrates to Black students that there is a broad coalition of support rooting for their success here. We have an incredible network of alumni, and this program will allow those student success champions to reach back and help bring more underrepresented students to the University of Oregon.”
To learn more about the UO Black Alumni Network and the Student Support Fund, visit www.uoalumni.com/uoban. To donate to the fund, visit the scholarship fund page. To see photos from the UOBAN reunion, visit the collection on Flickr.
- By April Miller, assistant director of marketing and communications