Jazz Accepting Applications For Scholarships For Wins Program

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz have begun accepting applications for their program that plans to award scholarships for each game the team wins this season.

Jazz team owner Ryan Smith announced the initiative in early January, looking for a new way to tackle the educational needs of underrepresented students.

“It’s not only to give folks money who wouldn’t have had a chance,” Smith told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “A lot of people don’t know how to get the process going of getting into college.

The @utahjazz plan to offer a college scholarship for each win the team records this season.

“Our group plans on using the Jazz in this platform to be able to drive proper changes that frankly, should have been done a long time ago.”#TakeNote https://t.co/jNuC9FNaWT

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 6, 2021

The program, which provides one scholarship for every Jazz win this season, will cover
up to the full cost of attendance — including tuition, books, fees, and room and board — for each recipient’s undergraduate education at one of six universities in the state of Utah according to a release from the team.

The team currently owns a 27-9 record, but with three additional preseason victories, the total number of scholarships being handed out so far this season is up to 30.

“They were asking, ‘Okay, we had a preseason win, does that count as one?’” Smith said of the Jazz players. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah, that counts. A win is a win. In reality, we’re just trying to drive change.”

Those 30 scholarships will be awarded to students enrolling as freshmen for the 2021-2022 academic year, with any additional victories creating opportunities for prospective 2022-23 students.

30 for 30 …

30 wins so far. 30 scholarships–tuition, fees, room & board–for underrepresented minority students.

We want the best talent in the world in Utah and are excited to start with these six Utah universities.

Applications now open at https://t.co/RC3xslzLGC pic.twitter.com/ZCKr5FAHIf

— Ryan Smith (@RyanQualtrics) March 11, 2021

According to the team, scholarship recipients will be eligible based on the following criteria:

• Graduate of a Utah high school
• Person of color
• Demonstrated financial need
• Has been admitted to one of the six listed Utah universities: Brigham Young
  University, Southern Utah University, University of Utah, Utah Valley University, Utah State University, and Weber State University
• Preference for first-generation college student
• Incoming freshman enrolling as a full-time student

Students can apply for the Jazz scholarships by visiting utahjazz.com/scholarship. The application process is now open and applications must be submitted by April 2.