MADISON, Wis.—Sept. 23, 2021—WPS Health Solutions has expanded its support of five Madison College students currently enrolled in the Risk Management and Insurance Program through the ‘WPS Diversity in Insurance’ scholarship.
In 2020, the WPS Charitable Foundation established the scholarship to allow underrepresented students the opportunity to earn an insurance certificate through Madison College. The Urban League of Greater Madison worked with Madison College to enroll students in the 14-credit Insurance Certificate for the Business Professional program under full scholarships.
A second financial commitment of $25,000 to the Madison College Foundation from the WPS Charitable Foundation broadens the depth and breadth of WPS’ impact to more than a financial contribution. Programming will now include additional support for the scholarship recipients, including:
Additionally, the scholarship will now fund a 35-credit technical diploma for the students instead of a professional certificate. With this change, students will:
“The additional academic support and funding from WPS Health Solutions will provide five full scholarships to students who have been historically underrepresented in the insurance industry,” said Dr. Jack Daniels, president of Madison College. “These scholarships will allow students to attain a broad knowledge of the industry and increased knowledge of career opportunities that will lead to successful employment in the insurance industry.”
“We are proud to partner with Madison College and the Urban League of Greater Madison to intentionally increase representation across a field that has historically been homogenous," said Jihan Bekiri, WPS Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “We are inspired by our 2021/22 scholarship recipients and are committed to their future success.”
This scholarship program is a key component of WPS Health Solutions’ investment in diversity, equity, and inclusion. The scholarship is intended to help diversify the pipeline of talent while building authentic relationships with community organizations.
Madison College serves more than 33,000 students throughout a 12-county district in south-central Wisconsin, offering nearly 180 diverse career programs, diplomas, and certificates. Its mission is to provide open access to quality higher education that fosters lifelong learning and success in the communities it serves. Madison College is the second-largest institution in the Wisconsin Technical College System.
The mission of the Urban League of Greater Madison is to ensure that African Americans and other community members are educated, employed, and empowered to live well, advance professionally, and contribute to the common good in the 21st century. The Workforce Development team provides connections between high-demand industries and job seekers in the community. For more information, please visit ulgm.org.
