Beyoncé is currently travelling the world on her On The Run II Tour being amazing and slaying in head-to-toe Gucci. Jay-Z is also there and being pretty good. Now the pair are going above and beyond, giving away over $1 million in university scholarships to students in 11 different cities.
Working out at $100,000 per student, each from a different stop on the tour, the chosen undergrads will be selected on the basis of academic excellence and financial need, according to a press release from Beyoncé’s company, Parkwood Entertainment. That’s 11 worthy recipients across Orlando, Miami, Arlington, New Orleans, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Clara and Seattle.
It’s not the first time Beyoncé and Jay-Z have helped underprivileged kids in their pursuit of higher education. In 2017, through her charitable foundation BeyGOOD, Beyoncé established the Formation Scholars Award, which gave four young creative woman financial support to pursue their studies. Jay-Z’s The Shawn Carter Foundation, meanwhile, has awarded over $4 million since 2013 in initiatives that support young people.
The news comes just a week after British MC Stormzy announced his Cambridge scholarships, which will fund two black students to attend the university. And while it’d be nice to live in a world where these scholarships weren’t necessary — a world where education was free and representation equal — we’re unfortunately far from that point.
In the meantime, it’s great to see people use their platforms to give back to those who really need it.