LeBron James Pledges Up to $42 Million for Scholarships

The University of Akron has announced that NBA star LeBron James has pledged up to $42 million to provide four-year scholarships to 1,100 underserved students in the city.

To be awarded through the LeBron James Family Foundation, the scholarships will cover tuition and general service fees—currently $9,500 per year—for qualifying middle and high school students enrolled in the foundation's Akron I PROMISE Network, which engages children and their parents in efforts to improve their educational and life outcomes. While the criteria for the scholarships are in the process of being finalized, the Associated Press reports that scholarship recipients must graduate from a public high school in the city, meet standard testing requirements and fulfill a community service obligation.