Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet joins forces with the University of Toronto to make a new scholarship. The scholarship is dedicated to helping support Black or indigenous people through all four years at the institution. After former Raports guard and forward, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, left VanVleet has become the face of the Raptors. VanVleet continues to impress as a leader and is beginning to become a staple of that franchise.
The star player announced he would start a new scholarship with Roman Commerce, via Twitter. The scholarship will be based on financial needs and academic achievement. VanVleet is prioritizing students who are looking to study management for the scholarship.
Excited to announce the Fred VanVleet Scholarship at Rotman Commerce program at the University of Toronto.
Apply today at : https://t.co/05MXTm5UnQ pic.twitter.com/A5Y8dNBmuQ
— Fred VanVleet (@FredVanVleet) December 13, 2021
Some of the perks of the scholarship are it will cover the entire tuition cost of the program, which is $7,100, for the first year. The remaining three years come out to $16,900, on top of, covering the entire $57,800 tuition cost. Not to mention, it will provide a $1,000 stipend each year to cover the cost of books, per source.
Vanvleet seems to be looking to make an impact and give an opportunity to someone else that he didn’t receive growing up. As he pushes for academic excellence, he’s slowly becoming a bigger hero of the city of Toronto because of it.
“Mentorship is big. It’s a big thing that you learn the later you get in your life,” VanVleet said. “As time passes, you understand its significance. Having someone in your corner to guide and provide reassurance or direction in areas where improvement is needed is crucial.”
Other Toronto Raptors and VanVleet contribute to the city in other ways
This September, he teamed with several other Raptors and Penny Appeal Canada to start the Heart of the City program. The program’s mission and goal are to support at-risk communities around the city. For example, the program distributed 1,000 school bags to students. They have plans for more philanthropy down the line.
.@FredVanVleet alongside @pennyappeal launched “Heart of the City,” an initiative aimed at helping as-risk communities in Toronto and gifted 1,000 students across the GTA with customized backpacks. @Kayla_Grey
Episode 14 drops later today! @DellXPS pic.twitter.com/jtcO0LCySu
— THE SHIFT (@theshift_sports) October 1, 2021
