Delgado and Pepsico Launch New Scholarship Program for Black and Hispanic Students

March 25, 2022

Uplift Scholarship Program Aims to Increase College Enrollment and Completion Among Black and Hispanic Students by Addressing Critical Access Barriers

Delgado Community College and The PepsiCo Foundation announce the launch of the Uplift Scholarship program to support Black and Hispanic students pursuing two-year degrees and professional certificate programs. In addition to financial assistance, the program provides students with dedicated success coaches, access to emergency grants, and financial literacy courses.

New and current students can apply for the scholarship, which also includes support for programs that are not currently covered by federal student aid. Scholarship applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and eligible students can apply directly at https://tinyurl.com/32xh3dkt or www.dcc.edu.

“We are thrilled about our partnership with PepsiCo,” said Dr. Larissa Littleton Steib, Delgado Chancellor. “This partnership provides scholarships to Black and Hispanic students with the goal of addressing barriers these students have in enrolling, persisting, and graduating from college. The partnership is a gamechanger because it provides eligible students with professional mentoring, tuition assistance, and assistance with living expenses. We are grateful to PepsiCo for choosing Delgado Community College to be part of this initiative.”

There are ten Delgado Community College students now receiving support from the Uplift Scholarship program. They are residents of communities from New Orleans to New Iberia, and they range from traditional college students just out of high school to working mothers in their 40s. More Black and Hispanic students at Delgado will have the opportunity to participate in the program in the months to come.

 The program is designed with a holistic approach to promote access to education advancement by addressing the obstacles – retention, completion, and workforce readiness – that disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic students’ educational and professional journeys. The Uplift program aims to guide students to jobs in high-growth industries, including Information Technology, Advanced Manufacturing, Logistics, Sales, and Marketing.

 “Higher education is the single most important tool we have for addressing economic and opportunity inequality. But just entering college is not enough,” said C.D. Glin, Global Head of Philanthropy, PepsiCo & Vice President, The PepsiCo Foundation. “Through the Uplift scholarship, The PepsiCo Foundation and Delgado Community College are working to ensure Black and Hispanic students not only have a chance to get into college but have access to critical resources to secure their diplomas and embark on meaningful careers.”

The Uplift Scholarship program is part of The PepsiCo Foundation’s $40 million commitment to address historical barriers that make it challenging for minority students to enroll, persist, and graduate from college – barriers that have widened during the pandemic. The Foundation’s Uplift Scholarship is currently offered at 20 community colleges across the country with the goal of providing 4,000 scholarships over five years.

The PepsiCo Foundation's Community College Program is a cornerstone effort of PepsiCo's more than $570 million Racial Equality Journey, a comprehensive initiative to support Black and Hispanic communities, people, and businesses.

About Delgado Community College

Delgado Community College celebrates 100 years of service to the New Orleans region in 2021-22. The oldest and largest community college in Louisiana, Delgado provides instruction online and at seven locations. Delgado offers students the most comprehensive array of education and training services available in the New Orleans region. Additionally, Delgado has articulation agreements with most of the state’s four-year colleges and universities that allow students to transfer their Delgado credits to bachelor’s degree programs. Workforce development is a priority at Delgado, hence the college’s well-known motto: “Education that works!” www.dcc.edu

About PepsiCo 

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

About The PepsiCo Foundation 

 Established in 1962, The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we’re focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance.