Lizzo has announced the “Sasha Be Flooting Music Scholarship” for Black Students from Houston. The funds will be granted to those studying at the University of Houston’s Moore School of Music. The singer partnered with the school, her alma mater, to create the $50,000 scholarship.
“That was me just a couple years ago, a young Black flute player who just needed a scholarship and someone to believe in them,” Lizzo said in an Instagram video. “And now, I get to pay it forward.”
According to Chron, the university said in a statement that they are “deeply grateful” for Lizzo’s commitment to supporting the next generation of music students.
“This scholarship will be life-changing for one young artist—it will create opportunities and open doors that will make a lasting impact on the young student and their journey towards a music career,” the statement read. “The details are still being finalized, and we hope to share more about the scholarship soon.”
Giving Back for Juneteenth
For June, Lizzo has given out multiple $50K donations in honor of Juneteenth. Past recipients include the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, Black Girls Smile Inc., and the Sphinx Organization. And now, the University of Houston.
Lizzo said she and U of H will announce the scholarship winner soon at lizzolovesyou.com.
Before The Fame
Before Lizzo became the superstar loved by many, she attended the University of Houston on a scholarship. Lizzo played the flute for The Spirit of Houston marching band. The Grammy Award winner graduated from the university with a performance degree. She has continued her relationship with the university and even surprised the marching band at one of their rehearsals in 2019.
The “Good As Hell” singer talked about the scholarship in an IG post where she used a photo of herself in college playing the flute.
“Meet baby Lizzo on scholarship at the University of Houston, hoping she’ll earn a music performance degree in flute,” she captioned the photo. “Little did she know she’d change the conversation on flutes in pop culture forever.”