04/22/2024

Citizens and UNCF team up to award $50,000 in scholarships for high school seniors

PROVIDENCE, R.I., (April 22, 2024) – Citizens and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) announced today the establishment of the first-ever “Citizens Helping Citizens” Scholarship to build accessible pathways, while providing opportunities of cultural awareness, understanding, and leadership nationally for high school students who are pursing postsecondary education.

The program provides $50,000 in scholarship to 10 high school students entering a two or a four-year accredited college, university, or trade school in the fall of 2024, ensuring students have the proper resources and knowledge to help them thrive and reach their full potential.

“Coming together with UNCF to launch the Citizens Helping Citizens Scholarship allows us to accelerate our commitment in building a more inclusive future to meet the ever-changing needs of our young people,” said Yvette Vargas, Executive Vice President, Head of Development at Citizens. “We are delighted to invest into the next generation of students by providing access to education, which fuels continuous learning, skills development, and professional aspirations.”

The ongoing partnership between Citizens and UNCF has provided value beyond the scholarship, with key investments, mentorship, and workforce development initiatives for students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

“As UNCF embarks on its next 80 years of impact, partnerships like Citizens and UNCF to establish the Citizens Helping Citizens Scholarship are so vital to ensuring more deserving high school seniors have access to the necessary tools and resources needed to get to and through college,” said Arleaya Martin, Area Director, UNCF New England.

The Citizens Helping Citizens Scholarship was established to make postsecondary education accessible for all students, especially those in low-income and underrepresented communities. With the right skills, individuals can gain employment to fill critical roles and earn a livable wage and achieve financial stability.

The scholarship application is now open, and all students are encouraged to apply by midnight ET on May 13, 2024.

Learn more about the Citizens Helping Citizens Scholarship, here.

Contact Information:
Lester Booker Jr.
248.675.7020
[email protected]

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.                                                                                                                       
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $220.4 billion in assets as of March 31, 2024. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,300 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at  www.citizensbank.com or visit us on TwitterLinkedIn or Facebook.

About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization.  To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20% of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® UNCF is currently celebrating its 80th anniversary and continuing its rich legacy by emphasizing unwavering commitment to building better futures for all. For eight decades, UNCF has served as a unifying force, ensuring deserving students have access to a quality education, empowering them to become future leaders and community heroes.  Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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