The BDPA strategy is to bring college students into the professional chapters on the local level as opposed to creating ‘college chapters’.  Part of that strategy includes an aggressive delivery of college scholarships to deserving BDPA high school students.
    There are a number of college scholarship programs in place:

1. Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship – These scholarships are administered by BETF.  They are awarded to high-performing students in the annual BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships. Bemley scholars can be found in scores of colleges around the nation.
2. Eli Lilly Scholarships for BDPA Students – These scholarships are administered by BETF.  They are awarded to students around the nation who show a desire to make a difference in the IT industry over the course of their college and professional careers.  Eli Lilly & Company began funding these scholarships in 2008.
3. Johnson & Johnson Scholarships for BDPA Students - These scholarships are administered by BDPA.  They are provided to winners of the annual BDPA IT Showcase as well as all-around excellent HSCC students.
4. Oracle Scholarships for BDPA Students – These scholarships are administered by BDPA.  They are awarded to deserving students selected by local chapters.  Over $150,000 has been awarded to Oracle scholars over the past three years.

We are grateful to Creating IT Futures Foundation for its support of the Bemley Scholarships.   The funding for that college scholarship comes primarily from BDPA members and supporters.  You can make a secure online donation in a number of ways that include:

• Crowdrise
• Facebook Causes
• Your Debit or Credit Card

Finally, we would love to talk with other corporations or nonprofit organizations about creating STEM-related college scholarships that can be administered by the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation.   Just reach out to us via email, scholarships@betf.org.