In honor of National Scholarship Month, Sallie Mae has awarded the latest recipients of the “Bridging the Dream Scholarship” per a statement obtained by HBCU Pulse. The scholarship was created in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and has been awarded for three years. Twenty of the recipients are incoming freshmen who have enrolled at HBCUs.

“Expanding access and affordability is central to our mission at Sallie Mae and why we continue to offer scholarship programs that reach those students who often need the most support,” Sallie Mae executive vice president Nic Jafarieh said in the statement,  “This year’s diverse and impressive Bridging the Dream scholarship recipients were selected from more than 1,100 applicants nationwide, and a majority are attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.”

President & CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Dr. Harry L. Williams also spoke on the scholarship, saying, “Our commitment to students from historically underrepresented communities is realized through programs like The Sallie Mae Fund’s Bridging the Dream Scholarship,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, president and CEO, Thurgood Marshall College Fund. “We are grateful for this ongoing partnership and shared mission of making higher education more accessible and affordable.”

The recipients of the scholarship, such as incoming Jackson State student Chayil Rattler, are excited about the financial burden that will be lifted from them when they start their college experience.

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“Receiving the Bridging the Dream Scholarship allows me to pursue the education I need to achieve my goal of becoming a journalist. I also get to enjoy the rich culture and HBCU traditions without worrying about the financial burden on my parents,” Rattler said.

The names of the HBCU students who are recipients of the “Bridging The Dream” scholarship is below.

  • Nicholas Allen of Milton, Ga., attending North Carolina A&T State University
  • Ka’Mya Anderson of Horn Lake, Miss. attending Alabama A&M University
  • Azhyia Clemons of Rochester, N.Y., attending North Carolina A&T University
  • Madison Corzine of Fort Worth, Tex., attending Spelman College
  • Emery Delbridge of McDonough, Ga., attending Savannah State University
  • Devin Dixon of Ellenwood, Ga., attending Tuskegee University
  • Na’Zari Donegal-Pringle of Wilmington, Del., attending Delaware State University
  • Nyela Harrison of Hayward, Ca., attending Hampton University
  • Dominic Lee of Kennesaw, Ga., attending Clark Atlanta University
  • Matthew Payne of Jonesboro, Ga., attending Fort Valley State University
  • Nydia Phillips of Texas, Al., attending Southern University and A&M College
  • Andrew Pierre of Lanham, Md., attending Bowie State University
  • Reyna Porter of Lithonia, Ga., attending Howard University
  • Chayil Rattler of Stockbridge, Ga., attending Jackson State University
  • Milan Rothe of Lakeway, Tex., attending Howard University
  • Sienna Stewart of Gahanna, Ohio, attending Kentucky State University
  • Jared Wilder of North Charleston, S.C., attending Hampton University
  • Sydney Wright of Richmond, Va., attending Norfolk State University
  • Alexander Young of Douglasville, Ga., attending Morehouse College
  • Makaila Young of Oswego, Ill., attending Xaver University of Louisiana