PLANO, Texas, Jan. 11, 2018 – In honor of the life and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Toyota Financial Services (TFS) announced its continued support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), with its annual donation of $60,000 to five HBCUs and the Tom Joyner Foundation.
A long-standing supporter of the African-American community, TFS established the donation to meet and assist numerous talented young minds who may have otherwise been unable to complete their education due to the lack of financial aid. The program builds upon a decade-long partnership between Toyota and the Tom Joyner Foundation to support HBCU students.
“Dr. King believed all young people should be given an opportunity to receive the best education possible,” said John Ridgeway, general manager of TFS’ Customer Service Center in Maryland. “It’s been an honor for Toyota to support the mission of HBCUs, and help these students reach their academic and professional aspirations.”
The following universities will each receive $10,000:
University of Maryland – Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Md.
North Carolina A&T University, Greensboro, N.C.
Lincoln University, Lincoln University, Pa.
Huston-Tillotson University, Austin, Texas
Alabama State University, Montgomery, Ala.
Toyota Financial Services also is donating $10,000 to support the work of the Tom Joyner Foundation. The foundation provides academic support, scholarships, and programming to over 80 HBCUs in the Southern and Eastern United States.
“Toyota is a valued partner in our mission to help students at these colleges, and we’re thankful to be collaborating with them for a fourth consecutive year,” said Thomas Joyner, Jr., president and CEO of the Foundation. “These scholarships are game-changing investments for so many of these students who are working hard to achieve their college degrees.”
Financial support of universities is key in driving student success and retention at HBCUs, thereby producing high graduation rates.
“Providing this support not only helps ensure students achieve their dreams of higher education, it also contributes to the sustainment of these HBCUs and helps them address the issues that impact student retention,” concluded Ridgeway.
Toyota has been named a DiversityInc Top 50 Company for Diversity® for the past ten years, and has been consistently recognized by Black Enterprise, Hispanic Business, and the Human Rights Campaign as a Best Company for Diversity and one of the Best Places to Work. Toyota has provided millions of dollars in scholarships to deserving students across the nation; its executives actively support and sponsor the company’s many diversity and inclusion initiatives, and its team members volunteer tens of thousands of hours of their time and provide their talents to national- and community-based programs across the United States.