News and Knowledge

OAR is excited to announce that Synchrony has pledged $200,000 over the next two years to support the Synchrony Scholarship for Autistic Students of Color and the Synchrony Tech Careers Scholarship. These two new scholarships will receive $50,000 each for their initial scholarships to be awarded in 2022.

The Synchrony Scholarship for Autistic Students of Color aims to work towards equity in post-secondary education for autistic students of color. Synchrony and OAR recognize the disproportionate barriers students of color have overcome and still face. Through this scholarship, they seek to empower these students to pursue their academic and career goals. OAR plans to award 16 scholarships  of $3,000 each in the scholarship’s inaugural year. The Synchrony Scholarship for Autistic Students of Color is currently accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year.

The Synchrony Tech Careers Scholarship will provide financial support to autistic adults interested in pursuing career skills development opportunities in the technology sector. OAR and Synchrony understand that many jobseekers need additional trainings and certifications to achieve meaningful employment. This new scholarship seeks to directly address that need by eliminating or substantially reducing the out-of-pocket expense barrier for these programs. Due to the varying cost for certification and career development programs, these scholarships will range from $500 to $5,000 each depending on the cost of the desired program. The Synchrony Tech Careers Scholarship is currently accepting applications; the deadline is March 31, 2022 for scholarships to be awarded in May 2022.

“Our aim has always been to create a workplace and culture where people’s differences are not only accepted but valued,” notes Amar Malik, People with Disabilities Network Community and Citizenship Pillar leader at Synchrony. “A culture where everybody can be their 100% authentic self. A culture where everybody feels they belong and are appreciated. A culture that was built on the foundation of our passion for diverse perspectives.”

With these scholarships, OAR looks forward to providing support that can address inequity and offer opportunities for autistic individuals to contribute their gifts and talents in the workplace and their communities.