(WMC-TV) – You might wonder how at-risk youngsters in Memphis in the Mid-South might benefit via a connection to rap music royalty. Keep reading because Shawn Carter, better known as Jay-Z, wants to offer a bit of his wealth to young people who generally have zero chance when it comes to college scholarships.
Jay-Z’s foundation offers help to select young people who want to improve their education and make their own contributions to the community.
The Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation offers scholarships to single mothers, children who attend alternative schools, students who have earned a GED as well as young people who have been incarcerated.
The one thing these young people age 18 to 25 must desire is a higher educational opportunity.
Jay-Z wants to see applications from U.S. citizens 18-25 years of age who are at least a senior in high school, attending college or some type of vocational-technical trade school.
All students must have a GPA of at least 2.5 and must submit their online application to the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation no later than May 15, 2012.
Click here to apply.
If you’re an under-served student in the US, you have a shot of winning a Jay-Z scholarship and yes, there’s a catch!
Jay-Z says a major consideration in his awarding these gifts is how students answer this question, “what are your plans to give back to the community?”
The scholarship foundation is one of the ways the rapper gives back.
The man is on a serious roll. Carter and his wife, Beyonce, recently welcomed their first child, a little girl named Blue Ivy. PEOPLE Magazine recently named Beyonce “the most beautiful woman in the world.” FORBES ranks Jay-Z as one of the richest rappers in the world. FORBES estimates his net worth at $460 million with a 2011 income of $37 million.
The rap star has parlayed his musical talent into a business empire that includes an interest in the NBA. Carter owns a minority stake in the New Jersey Nets as well as investments in fashion, restaurants and of course, music.