Jackson State University recently hosted an official grand opening for its new Women’s Business Center located in the College of Business Rotunda.

The center provides business services to women seeking federal contract dollars as women-owned small businesses and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses. Additionally, women can take part in one-on-one counseling, low-cost training, networking, free workshops, technical assistance and mentoring services. Information is also available on business startups, financial reporting and procurement.

Qualifying participants must be a United States citizen and a woman business owner who controls at least 51% of a small business that is in the legal form of an individual proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, S Corporation or C Corporation.

Businesses must operate primarily within the U.S. or make a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labor. Nonprofits are not eligible for the program, nor are Debarred or suspended firms or firms owned by debarred or suspended individuals.

The WBC @JSU is located inside suite 332 on the third floor of the College of Business. For more information, call 601-979-4186 or email [email protected].

JSU Joining FedEx-HBCU Student Ambassador Program

Jackson State University is one of several historically Black colleges and universities partnering with FedEx to launch the FedEx-HBCU Student Ambassador Program. The program, which will introduce a new cohort each year, will officially begin in March 2022 with the first cohort of students participating in virtual and hybrid meetings.

Students in the program will participate in seminars designed to provide empowerment, engagement, and education, a release from JSU says. The first cohort of student participants will also help set the direction for upcoming FedEx Ambassador programs, such as career pathways initiatives, HBCU leadership institutes, and student forums and think tanks.

Jay’La Manor, a junior business major from Las Vegas, Nv., and Ezra Snell II, a sophomore sociology major from Clinton, Miss., will represent JSU in the inaugural cohort.

Other participating HBCUs include Tennessee State University, LeMoyne-Owen College, Mississippi Valley State University, Lane College, Paul Quinn College, Miles College and Fayetteville State University.

For more information, visit fedexcares.com.

MSU Offering Federal American Rescue Plan Act Funding

Mississippi State University aims to assist students with expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic during the upcoming spring semester via the Federal American Rescue Plan Act. The U.S. Department of Education uses the program to disburse funding to help students experiencing financial need or emergency costs including tuition, food, housing, healthcare and childcare.

Students who applied for ARP funding during the fall 2021 term do not need to reapply again for this spring semester and will automatically be considered, a release from MSU says. For students who did not apply during the fall, the online application deadline is Feb. 22, at which point MSU officials will review eligibility and begin working to distribute awards.

To comply with guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education and the ARP legislation, students must certify on their application that they have experienced financial need or have emergency costs due to the pandemic. Only students enrolled for the current spring semester are eligible to receive monetary awards, with amounts varying by student. Receipt of the funds will be through direct deposit or paper check, or students can choose to apply them to their MSU accounts to cover any outstanding balances.

For more information on ARP fund eligibility and applications, email [email protected] or call 662-325-2450.