In honor of Black History Month, two local leaders are teaming up to provide full-tuition scholarships worth up to $61,178 to Black entrepreneurs with local or online businesses.
The Business Opportunity Scholarship covers tuition and fees to earn a bachelor's degree in business administration at Florida Institute of Technology. This program covers entrepreneurship, management, and marketing. To accommodate the “diversity of educational needs,” the courses will be taught entirely online, according to a news release.
In addition to tuition, scholarship recipients will receive a laptop and admission to the Empowerment Business Summit, held annually by the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida.
This scholarship is funded by Central Florida African American Chamber of Commerce President Tanisha Nangaly and Florida Institute of Technology President Dr. James Michael Burkett. The pair describe it as a way to “give back” to the next generation of local black leaders.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens, have a high school diploma or GED, and be able to demonstrate “leadership and contribution to the community.” The application deadline is February 12th. Winners will be announced on February 22nd.
“While talent is evenly distributed, access to resources such as higher education is not,” Burkett said in the release. “We hear from students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are juggling two or three jobs to start a business while attending university full-time. It can be extremely challenging. This scholarship was created to remove the financial barriers that prevent these entrepreneurs from realizing their ambitions.”
Nangaly said the scholarship will provide “skills, strategies and resources for Black entrepreneurs to not only build successful and sustainable businesses, but also drive positive change and uplift their communities.” Ta.
“We call on aspiring and established Black leaders in Central Florida to seize this opportunity to join us in rewriting the narrative and shaping a brighter future,” she said.
This is the second full-tuition scholarship awarded by the organization. The first recipient, Eddie Duran, is scheduled to graduate with honors in 2024. He began his degree program in 2021 and launched ArtCycle Kids, a program that uses bicycles to teach children teamwork.
Business Opportunity Scholarship 2021 Award Ceremony Recap from Eleven 11 Communications on Vimeo.
Florida Technical College was founded in 1982. We offer diploma, associate, and bachelor's degree programs in a wide range of specializations, including healthcare, construction, cosmetology, hospitality, information technology, and business. The university has several campuses, including Lakeland, Orlando, Kissimmee, and Tampa.
The African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida (AACCCF) is dedicated to creating an environment for African American-owned businesses to grow. We also aim to make the public aware of Black-owned businesses.
