Joyce Grant Fund Opens Scholarship Program for Black Women in Midlife
A new scholarship fund honoring Boston State College alumna Joyce M. Grant 鈥�60 is helping Black women in Massachusetts and Michigan pursue education later in life
A newly established scholarship fund honoring Boston State College alumna Joyce M. Grant ’60 is helping Black women across Massachusetts and Michigan pursue education and training later in life.
Launched in June 2026, the Joyce Grant Fund provides one-time scholarships of up to $5,000 to Black women age 30 and older. The awards can be used for college courses, certificate and trade programs, professional training, and other formal educational opportunities.
Grant, who died in November 2024, developed the idea for the fund herself. She wanted to support women whose educational goals had been delayed by work, family responsibilities, financial barriers, or other circumstances.
“Joyce was a force, and she believed that education is the key to opportunity,” said June Youatt, Grant’s longtime friend and chair of the Fund. “Her vision for the fund was to make a difference in the lives of women forced to put their dreams on hold earlier in life due to long-standing systemic barriers.”
Grant earned her undergraduate degree from Boston State College, which merged with 91视频 in 1982. According to Youatt, Grant often spoke about the importance of mentors and the opportunities her college education made possible.
“She believed the education she received there prepared her to go anywhere her ambition would take her—even though race was often a brick wall—to go around or tear down,” Youatt said.
Grant began her teaching career at an Episcopal school in Ohio at a time when Boston Public Schools did not hire Black teachers. She later returned to Boston, where she taught and became involved in civil rights and school desegregation efforts.
She helped organize Liberation Schools, community-run schools created during the desegregation movement, and later served as an area superintendent and deputy superintendent of Boston Public Schools. She went on to earn a doctorate from Harvard University.
In the early 1990s, Grant moved to Michigan to work with the Michigan Partnership for Public Education at Michigan State University. Her work focused on improving educational access, particularly in urban school districts. She also supported education initiatives abroad, including teacher training and school development in Africa.
Youatt described Grant as direct, determined, and willing to challenge people and institutions when she believed students were being underserved.
“Joyce was fiery in a kind of no-nonsense way,” she said. “She did not back away from hard things or difficult people, especially where she saw their actions or inactions disadvantaging students.”
At the same time, Grant took a personal interest in the people she met. Youatt recalled that Grant regularly struck up conversations with young employees at restaurants and events, asking whether they were students, what they were studying, and what they hoped to do next.
“I believe this individual caring is what led her to this scholarship idea,” Youatt said. “She wanted to participate in looking at individuals and recognizing potential that should be supported and encouraged.”
Grant began discussing plans for the fund with Youatt in 2022. She wanted scholarships to be awarded directly to recipients and to support a wide range of educational and training opportunities. She also hoped to meet scholarship recipients and celebrate their accomplishments.
Today, the Fund’s board is carrying out Grant’s vision. Beyond helping recipients pursue their own educational goals, the board hopes the scholarships will strengthen families, workplaces, and communities by expanding opportunities for women whose talents and ambitions deserve continued investment.
"Joyce's dream was to establish this scholarship fund. Her passion for education went beyond a profession; it informed how she moved through the world," Youatt said. "It's a privilege to help that passion live on through the Joyce Grant Fund.”
More information about the Joyce Grant Fund, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, is available at .