By Michael Johnson
HBCU 20×20-The Application is a non-profit organization that’s helping students and recent college graduates prepare for their futures.
CEO/Founder Nicole Tinson and Senior Vice President of Programs and Partnership Dr. Dennis Johnson, who is a native of Chicago’s South Side, joined Jewell Hillery via Zoom on Sunday’s WGN Weekend Morning News to discuss HBCU 20×20’s mission of helping students apply for colleges, setting them up for mock interviews, and much more.
Johnson says the organization recently lost about 80% of its funding due to Trump Administration initiatives, so it’s now relying heavily on employee partners and individual donations.
“We are an organization that provides services, and all these services that we provide … are all free, at no charge,” Johnson says. “From our free college application program that helps students get into college for free, to the mock interviews, to touring, to professional development seminars, everything is free. And a lot of it was tied to those grants.
“But now it’s all gone. It’s all froze. So we are forced to pivot, like all the other organizations. And pivoting means that we need your help.”