Sallie Mae Awards $400,000 in Scholarships to Increase Access to Higher Education

Education Landscape

To celebrate National Scholarship Month, Sallie Mae announced the latest recipients of its Bridging the Dream Scholarship for High School Seniors. For the fourth consecutive year, The Sallie Mae Fund has awarded deserving students up to $10,000 each in scholarships to support their higher education goals. This year’s 40 recipients are attending a record number of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)—from Howard University in Washington, D.C. to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga.— and are pursuing a diverse range of degrees, including business, engineering, fine arts, humanities, and more.

Since 2021, Sallie Mae has awarded over 900 scholarships worth nearly $4 million in partnership with Thurgood Marshall College Fund through the Bridging the Dream Scholarship programs, which also include the Completing the Dream Scholarship and the Bridging the Dream Scholarship For Graduate Students. These scholarships are part of the company’s continued mission to help students access and complete higher education—especially those from historically underserved communities.

Applying for scholarships is critical in helping students and families responsibly pay for higher education, and an important part of the planning process. In 2024, 88% of students attending HBCUs relied on scholarships and grants to cover the cost of college, according to our How America Pays for College 2024 report. In addition to the Bridging the Dream scholarships, Sallie Mae provides Scholarship Search by Sallie, a free resource that connects students and families to hundreds of scholarships, helping them navigate the process easily with no registration required.

Meet This Year’s Bridging the Dream Scholarship Recipients

Aeneas Moore

Hometown: Conyers, GA

School: Howard University

Major: Architecture & Design Studies

Alijah Dean

Hometown: Murfreesboro, TN

School: Tennessee Tech University

Major: Engineering

Amaya Morene

Hometown: Jacksonville, FL

School: Howard University

Major: Humanities

Amos Prince

Hometown: Schenectady, NY

School: Rochester Institute of Technology

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Aniyah Prescod

Hometown: Conyers, GA

School: Hampton University

Major: Architecture

Ashlie Kearns

Hometown: Fayetteville, FL

School: East Carolina University

Major: Computer Science

Bryson Long

Hometown: Eads, TN

School: University of Tennessee at Martin

Major: Cyber Security

Charity DeBrew

Hometown: Greensboro, NC

School: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Major: Music Performance

Chris Moore III

Hometown: Macon, GA

School: Howard University

Major: Music Performance

Darius Williams

Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA

School: Morehouse College

Major: Business

David McGowan

Hometown: Rockaway, NJ

School: Kean University

Major: Technology

David Riley

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

School: Morehouse College

Major: Business Administration

Devin Miller

Hometown: Dallas, TX

School: Prairie View A & M University

Major: Civil Engineering

Heaven Rowell

Hometown: Stoughton, MA

School: Howard University

Major: Business

Ihuoma Mgbahurike

Hometown: Arlington, TX

School: Howard University

Major: Communications

Imani Monday

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

School: Howard University

Major: Fine Arts

Iyanna Whipple

Hometown: Columbus, OH

School: Howard University

Major: Business

Jada McClide

Hometown: Locust Grove, GA

School: Clayton State University

Major: Health Science

Jayden Locklear

Hometown: Huntersville, NC

School: University of North Carolina at Charleston

Major: Biology

Journi Robinson

Hometown: Crofton, MD

School: Spelman

Major: Humanities

Kaandis Mance

Hometown: St. Petersburg, FL

School: University of Miami

Major: Music in Flute Performance

Kennedi Leary

Hometown: Covington, GA

School: Florida A&M University

Major: Fine Arts

Kennedy McCormick

Hometown: Riverview, FL

School: North Carolina A&T State University

Major: Marketing

Kenneth Stevenson

Hometown: Lawrenceville, GA

School: Morehouse College

Major: Science

Lillian Richards Smith

Hometown: Ellicott City, MD

School: Spelman College

Major: Science

Malani Martin

Hometown: Hanover, MD

School: Winston-Salem State University

Major: Sports Management

Margaret Mirembe

Hometown: Somerville, MA

School: Winston-Salem State University

Major: Kinesiology

Matthew Major

Hometown: Tampa, FL

School: Spelman College

Major: Human Resource Management

Mayah Prelow

Hometown: Mesquite, TX

School: Grambling State University

Major: Nursing

Mayte Segura

Hometown: Providence, RI

School: Vassar College

Major: Undeclared

Mikalah Williams

Hometown: Dulles, VA

School: Spelman College

Major: Science

Mira Reynolds

Hometown: Raleigh, NC

School: North Carolina A&T State University

Major: Chemical Engineering

Otis Lofton

Hometown: Columbus, GA

School: Howard University

Major: Pre-Law

RanDaijah Prince

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

School: Howard University

Major: Biology

Rianna Mafnas

Hometown: Winnfield, LA

School: Southern University and A&M College

Major: Fine Arts

Ryhmin Rawls

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

School: Morehouse College

Major: Pre-Psychology

Teyana Porter

Hometown: Pensacola, FL

School: Florida A&M University

Major: Psychology

Victoria Pettway

Hometown: Wheatley Heights, NY

School: Tuskegee University

Major: Engineering

Xochitl Poindexter

Hometown: North Hills, CA

School: Hampton University

Major: Liberal Studies

Yakouba Keita Jr.

Hometown: Stonecrest, GA

School: Morehouse College

Major: Engineering