The Tavis Smiley/ SPEA Scholarship Fund is a program for African-American high school seniors interested in pursuing careers in public and environmental affairs. The scholarship is for students enrolling in Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA), Smiley's alma mater.
The new scholarship will enable the continuation of the Smiley Scholars program that began in 2008 and ended this year. Eligible students include high school students with financial need who enroll in SPEA and can demonstrate leadership skills in their schools and communities. Preference will be shown to students who are the first ones in their families to attend college.
Smiley has demonstrated his support of African-American students with other scholarship programs and wants to continue to provide education opportunities for black youth. Smiley said, "As a native Hoosier, I want to do all I can to make sure students from backgrounds like mine can enjoy the same opportunities I did."
The scholarship was established to increase the number of black students at IUs School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Smiley is a celebrity talk show host of his own late-night television talk show "Tavis Smiley" on PBS as well as "The Tavis Smiley Show" for Public Radio International.
The deadline for this scholarship VARIES each year, and the award amount is usually $2,000 - $5,000.
For more details, visit www.tavistalks.com/smiley-scholarships