For the past 24 years, BISA has been operating a
successful scholarship program targeted for inner-city and financially
needy young black high school women to attend colleges and universities
across America. First criterion for selection is financial need,
second, they demonstrate potential for academic growth and leadership
and third, they are able to provide some clues about their career
goals. BISA's scholarship assistance [program is clearly targeted
for disenfranchised and economically disadvantaged young black women.
Many of our young scholars ( age 17 to 20 years old) are
already parents.
BISA's supportive services (hands-on-approach) are provided for
each student over the entire two or four years of undergraduate
study. These Services include: financial support, books, transportation,
tutoring, mentoring, counseling (students and parents), networking
among distinguished black women, on-site-visits, BISA's books and
calendars of distinguished black women, and monthly contacts by
assigned BISA member. Each student is provided a (1) 800 number
for easy access to BISA.
In 1995, BISA joined the Combined Federal Campaign and expanded
its scholarship program to serve residents by initiating
resident-partnership programs on campuses at Historically Black
Colleges and Universities.
BISA currently administers a $190,000 National Scholarship Program
that helps to support 40 to 50 eligible students over a four-year
time span. Students of the Washington, DC area are enrolled in the
following colleges and universities: University of Maryland (Eastern
Shore), Johnson C. Smith, Drexel, North Carolina Central, College
of Wooster, St. Mary's College, George Washington University, Delaware
State, and North Carolina Wesleyan College.
Students of the following states are enrolled in partnership
colleges and universities as listed:
|
State
|
Colleges/Universities
|
| Alabama |
Bishop
State Community College, Mobile |
| Arkansas |
Philander
Smith College, Little Rock |
| Delaware |
Delaware
State University, Dover |
| Florida |
Bethune-Cookman,
Daytona Beach |
| Georgia |
Morris
Brown College, Atlanta |
| Illinois |
Chicago
State University, Chicago |
| Louisiana |
Grambling
State University, Grambling |
| Maryland |
Morgan
State University, Baltimore |
| Mississippi |
Tougaloo
College, Tougaloo |
| North
Carolina |
Bennett
College, Greensboro |
| New
York |
Medgar
Evers College, Brooklyn |
| Pennsylvania |
Lincoln
University, Lincoln |
| Tennessee |
Fisk
University, Nashville |
| Texas |
Texas
Southern University, Houston |
| Virginia |
Hampton
University, Hampton |
BISA continues to develop and implement the national scholarship
program for financially needy and inner-city young black women.
To ensure that supportive services are seamless, each of the college
presidents at the partnership institutions has assigned a liaison
to be a contact for BISA's students. The liaisons update BISA about
progress, grades, and participate in an annual teleconference addressing
each student. A BISA member is also assigned to each student. These
services are free to the students. BISA's literature is also provided
free to college liaisons, libraries, presidents, and distinguished
women.
|