Frito-Lay today announced a partnership with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) that will further enable Black and Hispanic students across 10 U.S. cities to attend college. The snack leader is investing $500,000 in need-based scholarships to help reduce the financial barriers of attending and graduating college. Students are encouraged to apply beginning now and until submissions close September 29.

The scholarship will be accessible to students in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Orlando, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Each scholarship will provide assistance of up to $5,000 each to 100 Black and Hispanic students.

"Investing in these students means investing in tomorrow’s success. It’s a privilege to play a role in their futures,” said Steven Williams, CEO PepsiCo Foods North America. “At Frito-Lay, we’re proud to celebrate diversity at every level of our organization and remain committed to supporting future generations through resources that enable them to continue their education journey and achieve long-term success.”

This is one of the largest scholarships in Frito-Lay history and an extension of Frito-Lay's commitment to the PepsiCo Racial Equality Journey initiative, which will contribute $570 million to address issues of inequality over the next five years. This also represents the first partnership between Frito-Lay and UNCF, which has a 75-year legacy of helping to provide equal access to education for all Americans.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Frito-Lay to support underrepresented groups in the communities that we call home,” said Maurice E. Jenkins, Jr., executive vice president and chief development officer, UNCF. “This partnership helps us to further act on our vision of a nation where all Americans have equal access to a college education that prepares them for rich intellectual lives, competitive, and fulfilling careers and engaged citizenship.”

The eligibility for scholarship selection requires that a student be Black or Hispanic and be enrolled full-time at an accredited four-year college. To view the full list of criteria and to apply, click here.

For more about Frito-Lay, see "Innovation yesterday and today at Frito-Lay,” the cover story for September 2017, on the SF&WB website.