Underrepresented ASU Students To Benefit From New Scholarship

TEMPE, AZ — Arizona students from underrepresented communities will be getting some help from a new scholarship program intended to help diversify the financial planning field.

Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business is one of seven universities selected to participate in the Charles Schwab Corporation's $3.5 million endowed scholarship program. The program, which is funded through the Charles Schwab Foundation, will provide financial assistance and professional development opportunities to students from diverse backgrounds, ASU said in a news release.

"Diversity and inclusion are inherent to the DNA of ASU, and we're very happy to receive support from the Charles Schwab Foundation to continue the important work of drawing finance majors from all backgrounds to the business school," Amy Ostrom, interim dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business and PetSmart Chair in Services Leadership, said in a statement. "Diversity builds a healthy, vibrant community and is crucial for developing innovative solutions and effective change."

Underrepresented students in the financial planning program at ASU's business school are eligible to apply for $10,000 a year in scholarship funds. In addition to the two-year scholarship, recipients will be invited to apply for an internship at Schwab. The program will also assist ASU in enhancing its student diversity for the benefit of the entire student body, the university said.

"We believe programs like our scholarship endowment can make a meaningful impact by creating educational opportunities, which can help break down barriers and open new possibilities," Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, president of Charles Schwab Foundation and senior vice president of Charles Schwab & Co, said in a statement.. "Schwab was founded on the belief that our industry should be more inclusive, and that starts with providing encouragement and support to more underrepresented students as they explore college majors, including financial planning."

Additionally, the scholarship program will make mentorship and professional development opportunities available to help prepare students for the workforce.

The University of Arizona is another one of the seven schools included in the new program. Other recipient universities include Purdue University, Temple University, Texas Tech University, the University of Akron and Virginia Tech.

W. P. Carey is one of the top-ranked business schools in the U.S. Students come from more than 100 countries and W. P. Carey is represented by alumni in over 160 countries.