JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hundreds of students had the opportunity to learn more about colleges and scholarships at the sixth annual HBCU Legacy College Fair in downtown Jacksonville.
It was put on by The Center One Foundation and Florida Senator Tracie Davis.
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Scott James attended the event. He is a senior in high school but has his sights set on attending Florida A&M University to study computer science next fall.
“I am hoping to try to get into as many colleges as I can, and seek out some scholarships,” James said.
James was able to find more information about that at the sixth annual HBCU College Fair at the Jessie DuPont Center in downtown Jacksonville.
“It is a pretty big deal. As you can tell from the huge crowd over there. I am so glad to be here,” James said.
Twenty-two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were represented there, along with companies offering internships.
Nelson McCoy is with the Center One Foundation and one of the founders of this college fair.
He is an alum of Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach.
“I have had people this year comment on the flyers saying, my daughter or my son got a scholarship because they came to your college fair. That is a huge impact and that is what we are about,” McCoy said.
All these students had the chance to apply and possibly get accepted to some of these colleges, learn about scholarships and financial aid as well as panel discussions about study tips, being college-ready and networking.
McCoy talked about the significance of the more than 100 HBCUs, including the more than 10 that are also community colleges — schools that were established during segregation when African Americans were prohibited from attending other schools because of the color of their skin.
MORE | Edward Waters University enrollment growth is highest of all HBCUs in Florida
McCoy said these schools offer hope.
“HBCUs will send the most African-Americans to medical college. They produce the most African-American teachers. They produce a large portion of our engineers, our lawyers. Here is the kicker. They are only 3% of the universities in the nation. They only educate 9% of the black folks who get their college degrees,” McCoy said.
There are four HBCUs in Florida including one in Jacksonville, Edward Waters University. That is the oldest one in the state.
“Edward Waters University is a testament of determination, it is a testament of will. It is a testament of meeting the community’s needs,” McCoy said.
And so many other schools McCoy said offer the same things that these students were able to learn about at this college fair.