The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) recently announced that it awarded over $165,000 in scholarships to 192 women and minorities under its Path to Diversity (P2D) Scholarship Program during fiscal year 2020. The scholarships were awarded to industry professionals from MBA member companies who are seeking to advance their careers through MBA Education programs, courses, and select conferences.
“MBA’s Path to Diversity Scholarship Program is an important tool that addresses financial barriers sometimes experienced by aspiring talent. The program continues to expand and helps diverse mortgage professionals increase their capabilities, which opens more doors,” said Charmaine Brown, MBA’s director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “These funds will help to provide education and training opportunities, ensuring our diverse membership has access to the tools they need to reach their full potential and achieve career goals.”
P2D scholarships were funded primarily by donations from the Research Institute for Housing America (RIHA). MBA also received donations from CBRE, Quicken Loans, CMG Financial, SunTrust Mortgage, VantageScore Solutions, Ballard Spahr LLP and Cultural Outreach Solutions.
Awardees receive a voucher to cover course registration fees, up to a maximum of $2,000, for MBA Education programs and courses. To be eligible for the P2D scholarship, individuals must be currently employed by an MBA member firm or state MBA member firm, be a part of one or more underrepresented groups, and have two years of experience in the mortgage industry or some equivalent in real estate finance experience or training. There have been changes to streamline the P2D application process, including additional access to MBA’s virtual educational resources, expedited processing upon request, and allowing applicants to receive letters of recommendation from a broader range of industry professionals.
Click here for a partial list of the recipients, composed of those who wished to be publicly listed. Click here for full eligibility information or to apply. MBA members can visit here to donate to the P2D scholarship fund.
For more information on MBA’s Diversity and Inclusion commitment, visit the Diversity and Inclusion Resource Center at www.mba.org/news-research-and-resources/diversity-and-inclusion.