Beyoncé Funds College Scholarship Award For 'Bold, Creative' Women

Beyoncé's "visual album" Lemonade was released a year ago this week, but its impact continues to unfold. Just last week, the project won a Peabody Award. But the singer is also focusing on making its resonance felt through a very different vehicle: a group of scholarships called the "Formation Scholars" awards.

Announcing the program this morning on her website, she says that the scholarships are meant "to encourage and support young women who are unafraid to think outside the box and are bold, creative, conscious and confident." The awards specifically are geared to students studying either "creative arts," music, literature or African-American studies.

There will be one recipient — either an incoming or current undergraduate or graduate student — at each of the four participating institutions: Boston's Berklee College of Music; Howard University in Washington, D.C.; Parsons School of Design in New York City; and Atlanta's Spelman College. Two of the schools, Howard and Spelman, are historically black institutions; the other two are geared towards students pursuing creative careers.

What was not mentioned in today's announcement is how much money is tied to each award — i.e., whether or not it is a full scholarship, or if it will simply offset some of the costs of attendance.

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