Superstar comedian and North Philadelphia native Kevin Hart is paying it forward again in his hometown.
Eight Philadelphia students are among the 18 new recipients of college scholarships through a partnership between the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the Knowledge is Power Program and his Help from the Hart Charity.
RELATED ARTICLE: All the photos you need to see from Philadelphia's first 'Kevin Hart Day' celebration
The comedian provided $100,000 in scholarship funds to four students in 2015 through UNCF and will now dedicate $600,000 to the next group of recipients, who were selected based on academic and personal accomplishments.
Students from the KIPP public school network in eight cities were awarded scholarships to cover tuition at one of 11 historically black universities and colleges (HBCUs). The students may also receive substantive renewable awards based on need.
“The Help From The Hart Charity Scholarship will not only support students, but will also demonstrate support for HBCUs,” said UNCF CEO and president Michael L. Lomax. “Research shows that HBCUs matter, and that HBCU students are having a positive college experience, but they also have an unmet financial need. Together, Kevin and KIPP have made an investment that will have a significant impact. We can’t thank them enough for their support.”
Hart, who credits much of his success to the lessons he learned during his upbringing in Philadelphia, said he hopes the scholarships will give educational opportunities to students who show high potential but would otherwise be unable to afford school.
"Education and knowledge are powerful,” said Hart. “I just wanted to do my part in providing opportunities for our future leaders, especially from my Philly hometown, and show support for HBCUs. This is just the beginning; trust me when I tell you there are a lot more kids who want to go to college who don’t have the money to make it happen.”
Follow Michael & PhillyVoice on Twitter @mtanen88 | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Add Michael's RSS feed to your feed reader
Have a news tip? Let us know.