STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Anonymous Donor Gives $25,000 Per Semester To Black Football Players With Straight As

Hundreds of thousands of dollars have already been awarded.

In Roswell, Georgia, an anonymous donor is covering the college tuition costs for high school football players who earn straight As.

According to CBS News, a scholarship was created three years ago to help motivate Centennial High School players and ease the financial burden of higher education.

Jordan Barbas and Evan Walker were two recent graduates of the high school and said the money had an intended effect on their classroom efforts.

RELATED: The Complete Guide To Finding The Best College Scholarships – Just For You

"I was like, it's real?" Barbas said of the scholarship, according to CBS, adding that he would not have been an A student without it. "Money talks. Money can really change the way you view life." 

Jeff Burch, the school’s athletic director, said the donor pledged $1 million the first year.

"If the kids earn it, he wants to give it," Burch said. "It's a life-changer.”

Every high school semester with straight A's is worth $25,000. Three Centennial alums who are now in college earned between $150,000 and $200,000. 

Walker had three straight-A semesters, earning $75,000 for college. Barbas had two.

Burch said the man who wrote the checks prefers to stay anonymous. "It's about the kid earning it and the kids taking advantage, and not him giving the money,” he remarked. “You know, celebrate that.”

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.