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Blacks In Government (BIG) Pentagon Chapter 2024 Scholarship Opportunities

The BIG Pentagon Chapter of Blacks in Government® is one of fifty-four (54) Chapters in the Washington Metropolitan Area (Region XI). In keeping with the tenets and philosophy of BIG nationally, our Chapter strives to advocate equality, excellence, and opportunity in the workplace; to provide training, information resources and services to enhance job skills; to assist in career development and upward mobility; to enhance ethnic pride through socio-cultural programs; and to provide a forum for the workplace.

Our chapter is accepting applications from high school seniors planning to pursue a post-secondary education, current post-secondary students, and individuals who plan to attend a non-traditional college or technical program that may lead to obtaining a training certification.

The BIG Pentagon Chapter will award one (1) scholarship in the amount of $2,000 to one (1) student in each of the following scholarship categories

The Honorable Gerald R. Reed HBCU Scholarship

This scholarship is named in honor of Mr. Reed, who served as the BIG National President in 1999 and re-elected in 2001, and was the inaugural inductee into the BIG Distinguished Service Hall of Fame. This scholarship will be provided to a student who plans to attend a post-secondary educational institution identified as a Historically Black College or University. Eligibility requirements are as follows:

High School Seniors

  • Must be graduating from an accredited secondary educational institution.
  • Must have applied for admission to at least one postsecondary educational institution identified as HBCU.
  • Must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
  • Must provide at least one letter of recommendation from an employer or official of their current school, community organization, or church.
  • Must reside within a 50-mile radius of Washington, D.C.

Current College Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors

  • Must be enrolled in an accredited postsecondary educational institution that is identified as HBCU.
  • Must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
  • Two letters of recommendations, which may come from an employer, an official from their educational institution, a community organization, or a place of worship.
  • Reside within a 50-mile radius of Washington, D.C.

Selected students must be enrolled and in attendance for the Fall 2024 semester prior to funds being distributed.

General Scholarship

This scholarship opportunity will be provided to a student who plans to attend a traditional college/university or a community college. Eligibility requirements are as follows:

High School Seniors

  • Must be graduating from an accredited secondary educational institution.
  • Must have applied for admission to at least one postsecondary educational institution.
  • Must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
  • Must provide at least one letter of recommendation from an employer or official of their current school, community organization, or church.
  • The applicant must reside within a 50-mile radius of Washington, D.C.

Current College Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors

  • Must be enrolled in an accredited postsecondary educational institution.
  • Must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
  • Two letters of recommendations, which may come from an employer, an official from their educational institution, a community organization, or a place of worship.
  • Reside within a 50-mile radius of Washington, D.C.

Selected students must be enrolled and in attendance for the Fall 2024 semester prior to funds being distributed.

The Honorable Farnese J. Hicks Technical School/Training Program Scholarship

This scholarship is named in honor of Ms. Hicks, who had an exemplary career in the federal government, serving over 40 years of creditable service in her fields of mathematics and information technology. Ms. Hicks has served in numerous BIG offices at the chapter, regional, and national levels and is a 2016 inductee of the BIG Distinguished Service Hall of Fame. This scholarship will be provided to a student who plans to attend a technical school or training program, with a specific focus in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Eligibility requirements are as follows:

  • Must be enrolled in an accredited technical training school or training program.
  • Must be a HS graduate or hold a GED certificate.
  • Two letters of recommendation, which may come from an employer, an official from their educational institution, a community organization, career outplacement counselor or a place of worship.
  • Reside within a 50-mile radius of Washington, D.C.

Eligibility includes young adults, adult learners, or anyone irrespective of age interested in pursuing a career change; or advancing their career goals by pursuing education/technical training in the information technology and/or data management fields.

Essay Requirement

Applicants are required to submit an essay as part of their application package. This essay should focus on one of the following questions:

  • How will a college education support your career aspirations?
  • What does equity, equality, and inclusiveness mean to you?
  • What opportunities and challenges do you anticipate when you attend college?

The essay must be between 350 to 500 words, typed and double spaced, and no smaller than 11-point font. Essays will be evaluated based on content, depth, grammar, and organization. Failure to address one of the essay questions above will disqualify the applicant’s essay.

Application Package

High School Seniors

The application package must include the following items:

Current College Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors

The application package must include the following items:

Applicants Applying for the Honorable Farnese J. Hicks Technical School/Training Program Scholarship

The application package must include the following items:

Application Submission and Deadline

A complete application package must be submitted electronically to the scholarship committee no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time, Friday, June 7, 2024.  Applications packages should be submitted to the following email address: . Please include in the subject line: 2024 Scholarship Application Submission.  Incomplete applications or applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.