Student News

TikTok Gives $10 Million in Aid to 10 Colleges

In a push to enhance America’s next generation of healthcare and public health heroes, TikTok gives $1 million to ten influential universities.

Shawna Newman

December 22, 2020

Our #HealthHeroes should be diverse!
TikTok, a popular social media platform for high school and college students, is donating $10 million to encourage ethnic diversity within America’s next generation of health heroes. A December TikTok press release reveals ten U.S. colleges will receive $1 million in aid to support and fund undergraduate and graduate scholarships. The financial gift is specific to students pursuing careers in the medical, or other health related fields. The goal is "...to ensure the success of future Black, Latinx, and Indigenous health heroes.”
A Forbes article, names the ten colleges and universities that will receive $1 Million from TikTok’s healthcare diversity initiative:
  1. Xavier University of Louisiana
  2. Tougaloo College
  3. North Carolina Central University
  4. North Carolina A&T University
  5. South Carolina State University
  6. Laredo College
  7. University of South Dakota
  8. Florida A&M
  9. Delaware State
  10. Virginia Union University
2020 has been a tough year for front-line workers in the United States because of COVID. TikTok wants to ensure our country continues to have the best professionals reflective of a wide variety of backgrounds to keep us moving forward.
Working to ensure the next generation of health care professionals is more diverse, TikTok’s healthcare initiative has its own hashtag: #healthheroes.

How Minority Students Can Use This News

High school students or graduate students interested in becoming doctors, nurses, pediatricians, surgeons, other essential health care workers should consider applying to one of the ten schools listed above. Instructors and college presidents from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are on a mission to ensure our nation promotes diversity within the public health and health care professions. Professors and administration at these colleges are aware and prepared to help students with meek financial backgrounds defeat the hurdles of higher education, as well. High school seniors - If one of the above 10 colleges is on your list of top colleges, consider how the financial gift from TikTok may provide you funds to help you pay for school. You’ll want to evaluate this in your financial aid award packages as they come in this spring. If you’re a current college student seeking an advanced degree (masters or doctoral degrees) these are also some specialty colleges, you should investigate. A CNN article echoes familiar notions regarding the turbulent year prompting reform and support. It states that “The gift comes as colleges across the country suffer financially due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year in particular—due to an ongoing racial reckoning in the US—has also seen many philanthropists give to historically Black colleges and universities.”

Other Resources for Minority Students

If you are a minority student, you should check out these helpful resources below: College Scholarships for Hispanic and Latino Students Scholarships for African American College Students College Scholarships for Indigenous American Students Be sure to check Fastweb's Scholarship Database for more racial or ethnic focused scholarships.

More TikTok Love for Students

If you hold an account, whether it’s to follow Addison Rae TikTok, or to laugh at ridiculous college mascot accounts, students love the dimensions TikTok offers. If you’re looking for inspiration you can certainly find the motivation you need with these inspiring TikTok accounts for students.

TikTok In the News

The massive company has upped the ante on the public relations front because of big-case allegations in 2020. Earlier this summer a TikTok ban in the U.S. was a hot political topic. Reuters reported that American and international governments were concerned the Chinese app was a spy tool and involved in content censoring. An anti-TikTok Trump administration prompted the proposed ban into the Federal court system. However, TikTok fans and users don’t have to worry about losing their beloved app. NPR reports that a U.S. Federal Judge tossed allegations and fully revoked the request to ban TikTok in the U.S. this December. TikTok also announced its Community Guidelines update stopping multilevel marketing promotions (also known as MLMs or Ponzi schemes), according to The Atlantic.

Other Financial Support Opportunities for Students

A trusted resource for 25 years, be sure Fastweb is at the top of your college scholarship search toolkit. After sign up, you’ll be auto matched and notified of scholarships that fit YOU. You’ll also have resources to valuable information and tasks related to the college journey. Parents and students alike count on our articles to keep them on the right path to college success.

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Shawna Newman

Managing Editor, Contributing Writer

Shawna Newman is the Managing Editor and a writer at Fastweb. She has over 10 years of experience in higher education. Her direct work with college admissions teams, financial aid officers, college deans, ...