Utah Jazz Announce Application Process for First 30 Scholarships for Underrepresented Students of Color
For every win this season, the Utah Jazz are providing a college scholarship for an underrepresented student of color. Thirty scholarships, representing the team’s first 30 wins, will be awarded beginning with the 2021-22 school year -- The scholarships will be awarded to students across six Utah universities — Brigham Young University, Southern Utah University, University of Utah, Utah Valley University, Utah State University, and Weber State University
SALT LAKE CITY (March 11, 2021) — The Utah Jazz today announced the launch of the Utah Jazz Scholars Program to provide college scholarships to underrepresented students of color. The program, which provides one scholarship for every Jazz win this season, will cover up to the full cost of attendance — including tuition, books, fees, and room and board — for each recipient’s undergraduate education at one of six universities in the state of Utah.
The first 30 awards, representing the team’s first 30 wins this season (including preseason), will be granted to students enrolling as freshmen for the 2021-2022 academic year. All remaining scholarships that result from additional wins this season will be awarded beginning with the 2022-2023 school year. Students can apply for the scholarship by visiting utahjazz.com/scholarship. The application process is now open and applications must be submitted by April 2.
The Utah Jazz Scholars Program is specifically designated for underrepresented students of color who have demonstrated financial need, with preference given to first-generation college students. People of color are underrepresented in the classroom and workforce relative to the rest of the population, with Black and African American, Hispanic and Latinx, and Native American and Alaska Native groups remaining half as likely as their white peers to have a bachelor’s degree or higher and having higher unemployment rates than their white counterparts. The goal of the award is to help directly address these gaps by providing scholarships to students of color who have historically received fewer resources and less support.
In addition to the financial investment, each Utah Jazz Scholar will be offered guidance and assistance in the form of mentorships, job shadowing, and internship and job placement support — a collaborative effort between the Utah Jazz and the broader Utah business community.
Scholarship recipients will be eligible based on the following criteria: • Graduate of a Utah high school • Person of color • Demonstrated financial need • Has been admitted to one of the six listed Utah universities: Brigham Young University, Southern Utah University, University of Utah, Utah Valley University, Utah State University, and Weber State University • Preference for first-generation college student • Incoming freshman enrolling as a full-time student
The Utah Jazz have partnered with 10,000 Degrees, a leading non-profit which focuses on college access and success programs, scholarships and support, to select scholarship recipients and administer the scholarships. Applicants will be asked to submit a high school transcript, one letter of recommendation, and a short video of themselves responding to one of the following prompts: • Talk about an obstacle you faced and how you overcame it. • What do you hope to accomplish after you graduate from college? • Who is someone who has had a major influence on your life? Explain their impact and your relationship with them.
For more information or to apply for the Utah Jazz Scholarship, please visit utahjazz.com/scholarship.
—utahjazz.com—
About the Utah Jazz Founded as the 18th member of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1974, and located in Salt Lake City since 1979, the Utah Jazz are committed to excellence as a team and in the community. On the court, the Jazz are the second-winningest team in the NBA over the last 30 years, having won nine division titles and two Western Conference championships along with 16 seasons of 50-plus wins, and are supported by one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports. The Utah Jazz also operate the Junior Jazz program, the largest and longest-running youth basketball league in the NBA, featuring more than 60,000 players and an additional 13,000 volunteers who take part annually across six states. For more information on the Utah Jazz, visit www.utahjazz.com.