Netflix has partnered with Howard University to establish a $5.4 million scholarship in honor of the late Chadwick Boseman.
The Chadwick A. Boseman Memorial Scholarship covers four years of tuition for Howard students in the College of Fine Arts. The first four scholarships have been awarded to a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior.
“It is with immense pleasure and deep gratitude that we announce the creation of an endowed scholarship in honor of alumnus Chadwick Boseman, whose life and contributions to the arts continue to inspire,” Howard University president Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick said in a statement. “This scholarship embodies Chadwick’s love for Howard, his passion for storytelling, and his willingness to support future generations of Howard students. I am thankful for the continuous support and partnership of Chadwick’s wife, Mrs. Simone Ledward-Boseman, and to Netflix for this important gift.”
Netflix’s co-CEO and chief content officer Ted Sarandos added, “It is with enormous pride that we announce our endowment of the Chadwick A. Boseman Memorial Scholarship. While he was taken from us too soon, his spirit is with us always in his work and the good that he has inspired. He always spoke of his time at Howard and the positive way it shaped his life and career. Now, we will have the opportunity to give many future superheroes a chance to experience the same.”
Going forward, the scholarship will be given to an incoming freshman on an annual basis. The recipients will be students who have “exceptional skills” in the arts and a financial need.
“Many exemplary artists are not afforded the opportunity to pursue higher learning,” the late actor’s widow Simone Ledward-Boseman said. “We hope to support as many students as possible by removing the financial barrier to education. This endowment represents Chad’s devotion to the craft, his compassion for others and his desire to support future storytellers.”
Chadwick Boseman passed away in August 2020 after privately battling colon cancer. He was 43.