The 2025 FOSSI application launched at the HBCU Week College Fair in Wilmington, DE, on Friday, September 27th. This annual event brings together thousands of students, educators and HBCU representatives to support student enrollment and offer scholarship opportunities.
FOSSI sponsors in action
The FOSSI team and members of FOSSI sponsor companies including BASF, Braskem, Chemours, Celanese, DuPont, KBR, and Univar were on site to help
spread awareness of the FOSSI scholarship to more than 10,000 students, teachers, counselors, parents and 30+ HBCUs.
FOSSI sponsors DuPont and BASF also hosted students at an innovation space designed to give them the opportunity to see and touch some of the amazing technologies and products created by the chemical and related industries.
BASF highlighted their diverse capabilities across skin care, sun care, oral care, and hair care, placing particular emphasis on textured hair, illustrated using formulas, hair tresses, and styled mannequin heads to effectively showcase their expertise.
Commented Andrew Miller, Senior Marketing Manager (Hair, Body & Oral Care, NA) at BASF, “BASF is proud and honored to partner with FOSSI at the HBCU
Week College Fair. We believe in fostering the next generation of leaders in STEM, and we are excited to engage with students who are passionate about the chemical industry. Together we can inspire innovation and create a diverse future for our field.”
To date, FOSSI has raised nearly $40 million to fund more than 800 scholarships. Each recipient is paired with a dedicated corporate sponsor from a pool of more than 80 chemical companies and affiliated industry stakeholders to help them achieve their educational and career goals.
FOSSI looks to the future
FOSSI aims to create pathways for students to thrive in STEM and become future leaders in the chemical industry. To have a meaningful impact, FOSSI has an ambitious goal to award 1000 scholarships. To support this goal, FOSSI has announced it will expand the program for an additional three years, bringing in new 
classes of scholarship recipients through 2028.
Proud FOSSI scholar parent, Alva Mobley, expressed her gratitude for the FOSSI scholarship at the 2023 HBCU Week College Fair in Wilmington. "The FOSSI Scholarship has made a world of difference for our family. It has eased the financial stress of college and allowed our daughter, Skylar, to focus on her education and future goals without the added worry. We are incredibly thankful for this support, which has opened doors and given Skylar the chance to pursue her dreams. It truly means so much to us."
If you know of any high school seniors who are eligible for the FOSSI scholarship, please encourage them to apply! The application deadline is January 31, 2024.
We invite companies not currently supporting FOSSI to build their pipeline of outstanding and diverse talent by supporting a FOSSI scholar. Learn more.