After a historic performance at Coachella last April, Beyoncé announced the Homecoming Scholars Award Program to benefit students at four HBCUs. On July 23, the singer’s initiative, BeyGOOD, announced the eight winners of the scholarship via her website, beyonce.com.

Though initially only four universities were included in the program, it was opened up to all students, regardless of gender, who met the application requirements. The qualifications for the scholarship require students maintain a 3.5 GPA or above and pursue studies in creative arts, African-American studies, literature, science, education,  business, communications, social sciences, computer science and engineering.

The students have won $25,000 in aid for the 2018-2019 academic year. The winners are Allana J. Barefield from Xavier University, Erin Evans from Wilberforce University, Caleb Washington from Tuskegee University, Demetrius Weaver from Bethune-Cookman University, Jordan Davis from Texas Southern University, Dartishia Mosley from Fisk University, Cletus Emokpae from Grambling State University and Kameron Willis from Morehouse College.

Willis shared the exciting news on Twitter, writing “YALLL IM A RECIPIENT OF BEYONCÉ’S SCHOLARSHIP [crying emojis] GOD IS GREATTTTT.”

 

Emokpae, a graduate student at Grambling, said he was in dire need of help paying for school before he was notified that he won the scholarship. “And then I just started crying,” he said to KNOE News. “I haven’t cried in over a decade . . . It was another thing that I don’t have to worry about. It was the first time I felt like I really was recognized for something I’ve done.”