The University of Cincinnati has established a grant to ensure more students have access to quality education. Bearcat Affordability Grant According to a news release, the school has introduced a new pathway for students to obtain a tuition-free education. This will be made possible through the Bearcat Affordability Grant, which will go into effect in the fall of 2026. Its purpose is to ensure Ohio students can find opportunity and contribute to building a stronger workforce, particularly in the southwestern region. Eligibility for the grant is income-based. Students from families earning less than $75,000 annually can qualify, with the grant covering the remaining tuition costs for Ohio students after Pell Grants and the Ohio College Opportunity Grant are applied. The opportunity is open to incoming first-year students, and the grant can be used across the University of Cincinnati’s three campuses, notes the press release. “This grant program will be transformational for students,...

An AI-powered solution was launched for displaced workers and recent college graduates in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area. Talent Capital Talent Capital, a regional career services initiative of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, was launched in Washington, D.C., by Mayor Muriel Bowser and partners in October 2025, according to a press release. The new program comes after over 317,000 federal employees lost their jobs in 2025, with defense, agriculture, and treasury departments taking the hardest hits, per Federal News Network. In the DMV area, 34,100 federal employees lost their jobs from January to September 2025, according to Bethesda Magazine. Furthermore, college graduates have also been challenged in the job market with fewer entry-level positions available, CNBC mentions. Youth unemployment is sometimes an “early indicator that the economy is slowing down or maybe even heading towards a recession,” according to Anders Humlum,...

University of Houston athlete Ramon Walker Jr. is putting his name, image, likeness (NIL) earnings to good use. Walker Jr. has secured a slew of partnerships while playing for the college. According to his Instagram, they include Star Pizza, Daspit Law Firm, Gallery Furniture, The Players Trunk, and BB’s Tex-Orleans. Also listed is Actively Black, a Black-owned apparel brand launched in 2020 by Lanny Smith, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. View this post on Instagram With his earnings, he wants to invest in real estate thanks to his father’s advice, whom he views as a mentor. “My dad always told me, he says, when you have money, you have to let your money make you more money,” Walker explained per PaperCity Magazine. “Just my dad being a mentor to me on that side of things has really helped me. The NIL landscape is crazy now. It’s a huge influx of money. So I’m just trying to do the right things with it to set myself up for later in life, that’s something I’ve been concentrating...

The Department of Education has announced it will be garnishing wages for individuals who are in default on their student loans, The Washington Post reports. Beginning the week of Jan. 7, nearly 1,000 borrowers will be notified if their wages will be garnished, notes the outlet. The number of borrowers notified will increase over time. Almost 5.3 million borrowers have been in default for almost a year as of June 30, and many borrowers have been in default since before the COVID-19 pandemic, per The Washington Post. An estimated 6 million student loan borrowers were late on their payments as of August 2025, according to Urban Institute. ABC News reports that if loans are in default, the government can carry out mandatory collection through wage garnishment or withholding tax refunds and federal benefits such as Social Security. “We are evaluating ways to improve the fiscal health of the nearly $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio to safeguard the interests of both students and...

South Carolina State University has launched new degrees to diversify the STEM sector. According to a news release, the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) will offer three engineering bachelor’s degrees in Spring 2026. The first is computer engineering, a combination of computer science and electrical design, which will prepare students to develop hardware and software systems using artificial intelligence, automation, and advanced computing. The second is electrical engineering, which will provide learning opportunities focused on “renewable energy systems, embedded technologies, and sustainable innovation.” The third listed is mechanical engineering for students interested in pursuing careers in aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, and robotics industries. Launching Master’s Degree In Cybersecurity As it relates to graduate programs, the HBCU has also launched a remote online master’s degree in cybersecurity with options to laser-focus on network defense, digital...

Beats Academy is providing students with real industry experience alongside notable athletes such as Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles. Founded in 2023, Beats Academy, based in Los Angeles, is a program affiliated with audio brand Beats by Dr. Dre. The organization was born out of a need for college students in creative fields to secure roles after earning their degrees. Beats’ Head of Social Impact, Alexis Johnson, told AFROTECH™ that students were surveyed about their experiences in other programs. The consensus was that you can have multiple internships under your belt, but without tangible works or writing samples to show to an employer, that experience becomes less impactful. Who Can Apply? From its inception, Beats Academy has been committed to providing students enrolled in two- or four-year degree programs (including students in graduate and technical schools) with hands-on experience to work on a campaign with a Beats ambassador. Students can network with top creative marketing...

Quitting isn’t an option for college student and founder Elijah Khasabo. The 22-year-old is currently enrolled at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, studying marketing. His ambition is evident beyond his studies, as he is also a co-founder of Vidovo, a platform that makes it easy for brands to connect with and hire user-generated content (UGC) creators and influencers, according to its website. The platform also improves the content creator experience for its growing network, which will have access to hundreds of brands after onboarding. On LinkedIn, Khasabo shared that he had just $19.12 to his name when he launched Vidovo at age 19 from his bedroom just over two years ago . Vidovo has been bootstrapped, and it was built without any connections. Khasabo wanted to quit various times, but credits his mother for instilling his spirit of perseverance. “It didn’t matter that I had nothing. I had the drive, and honestly that was enough to start. It made sense on paper, brands were...

Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is dedicated to introducing the youth to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). Abdul-Jabbar was the leading basketball scorer with 38,387 points until LeBron James broke his record in 2023, per NBC News. Now he is working to ensure youth in underserved communities can have a “shot that can’t be blocked” through the Skyhook Foundation, its website mentions . He launched the foundation in 2010 and has reached more than 15,400 youth, per the foundation’s website. Its flagship program is Camp Skyhook, a five-day experience brought to life through a partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District, UCLA, and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, to introduce fourth- and fifth-graders to a STEAM-based, immersive, and hands-on curriculum. The camp also emphasizes collaboration and includes activities such as hiking, swimming, skits, and campfires, notes its website. It takes place at Clear Creek Outdoor Education Center...