November 4, 2020
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Donates $50k to Establish Endowed Scholarship
Sorority Distributes Donations to Help Support HBCUs Affected by COVID-19
As a newly established Bowie State endowed fund, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Endowed Scholarship will award future scholarships from its spendable income/interest, which has not accrued at this time.
Bowie State students are encouraged to apply online for BSU institutional scholarships.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Damita Chambers (Bowie State University), dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile
Kelli Sharpe (Alpha Kappa Alpha), communications@aka1908.com, 615-415-9444
(BOWIE, Md.) – The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, in partnership with the AKA Educational Advancement Foundation®, has donated a gift of $50,000 to establish an endowed scholarship to support students at Bowie State University.
The donation results from the sorority’s recent third annual HBCU Impact Day, when more than $1.5 million was raised in a single day to support HBCUs.
"It is a significant honor for Bowie State University to be selected for this groundbreaking Alpha Kappa Alpha initiative," said Brent Swinton, Bowie State's vice president for institutional advancement. “The AKAs have established a lasting legacy with their investment in the lives of deserving Bowie State University students. This gift helps to increase the university’s overall endowment, while generating future funding to support BSU students in perpetuity.”
In 2018, AKA began the process of donating to HBCUs through the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund with the goal to donate $10 million within four years. The sorority gifted $1.6 million to the first 32 of 96 HBCUs at a ceremony held at AKA’s International headquarters in Chicago. Each HBCU received $50,000 in unrestricted endowment funds as part of a phased approach to help schools reduce student debt through scholarships, fund industry-specific research, recruit and retain top faculty, and other critical operations.
“Given the current economic state of our world, in which we are dealing with a global health pandemic and widespread injustice against people of color, now more than ever is the time for historically Black sororities, fraternities and other HBCU supporters to step up and be of service to our historic institutions of higher education,” said Dr. Glenda Glover, AKA International president and chief executive officer, president of Tennessee State University and an HBCU graduate. “I know first-hand the immense challenges HBCUs are facing during this time of uncertainty. However, I also know that these institutions are resilient and resourceful, which is why Alpha Kappa Alpha is fully committed to investing in our HBCUs and preserving their educational legacy for generations to come.”
###
About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.
About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, is an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African-American college-educated women dedicated to raising the status of African Americans, particularly girls and women. Through a robust international program of service, Alpha Kappa Alpha continues to institute groundbreaking social initiatives and social service programs that transform communities for the better. Today, these include Target 1: HBCU for Life: A Call To Action; Target 2: Women’s Healthcare and Wellness; Target 3: Building Your Economic Legacy; Target 4: The Arts!; Target 5: Global Impact; and The Signature Program #CAPS. The sorority is comprised of over 300,000 members in more than 1000 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States and internationally. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated is a 501 (c)(7) organization. As a tax-exempt organization, AKA does not directly or indirectly participate in, or intervene in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.
For more information on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and its programs, visit AKA1908.com.