PepsiCo awarding $500,000 to benefit MIlwaukee-area scholars

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Of 20 national scholarships to be awarded by the PepsiCo Foundation Uplift Scholarship, only one community or technical college in Wisconsin received an award. The Milwaukee Area Technical College foundation was announced in a press release on Tuesday, Sept. 27 as that recipient.

MATC is set to accept $500,000 from the PepsiCo Foundation, benefiting a total of 160 students. Over the course of two years, 80 students per year will receive a $2,000 scholarship. In addition, a $50,000 emergency fund will be set aside for those students with an advisor tasked with helping break down barriers to their success.

The press release elaborates that scholarships include financial aid for tuition, fees, books, along with more unconventional areas such as housing, child care and nutrition.

PepsiCo's Uplift program aims to utilize $40 million over five years to benefit 2,000 Black and 2,000 Hispanic students across the nation with a goal of addressing minority underrepresentation in high-demand fields, such as business, IT, transportation, logistics and around 20 other programs.

More information about the PepsiCo Foundation can be found online, as can more information about MATC on their website.