Founded in 1996, Florida Atlantic University established the Business & Professional Women’s Scholarship House (BPWSH) to provide opportunities for women with financial difficulties and dreams of attending college. It currently houses 17 members and is one of only two in the state. 

The house is open to women within the FAU community—undergraduate and graduate students alike —who qualify for financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applicants must also complete an application through Owl Central, have and maintain a 3.0 GPA, present a resume and other relevant work experience and have lived on campus for one semester prior to applying.

In 2021, the UP reported that to live at BPWSH, residents were expected to pay $800 per semester. Things have since changed.

Once requirements are met through FAFSA, select applicants are called back for an interview. Once accepted, they’re required to pay a $500 fee as monthly rent. They are also responsible for an additional $100 fee per month that goes towards the house’s needs.

Aside from providing scholarship housing, the BPWSH functions as a registered student organization for the community. It is located behind the University Village Apartments (UVA) dormitories.

“I joined the BPW because I wanted to be a part of a supportive community of women who share similar academic and professional goals,” said Daijah Downey, president of the organization and a public administration graduate student. “The BPW has provided me with the opportunity to build meaningful connections, gain life skills and become more confident in my personal and professional skills.” 

The scholarship house prides itself on teamwork and responsibility, as it hosts various events in-house and other events open to the entire FAU community. One of their usual in-house events is “Cook Crew,” held every week Monday through Thursday, where members of the house alternate in groups of four and are responsible for cooking meals for the rest of the women in the house. 

The BPWSH also leads campus clean-ups to make the FAU environment cleaner. The last one they took part in was in their neighborhood. To live in the house, members must complete eight community service hours during the semester, as well as a total of six hours tabling on the Breezeway. 

“A part of connecting with the community is helping the community,” said Tia Duhaney, a member and graduate speech pathology and audiology student at FAU. 

While a part of the house, members are also required to participate in one of the organization’s executive committees, such as the marketing committee or the event-coordinating committee. 

“These committees are a large part of the scholarship house. They also include social media marketing. This allows the BPWSH to “invite people to see the house and see the members, so people become more familiar with it,” said Anasia Been, BPWSH’s marketing director. 

The event committee hosted a barbecue event earlier this spring, inviting the FAU community to learn about the house and meet the women who are a part of BPWSH.

“I love strengthening my skills in marketing as the marketing director… Being head of the committee teaches me communication and creativity from different lenses; I feel confident in my abilities to make a difference for the future of the house,” said Been. 

During its 28 years at FAU, BPWSH has accomplished several milestones. The organization’s executive members named their version of the ‘Woman of the Year’ award one of the most significant because it gives the awarded member an opportunity to be better every day. 

“The ‘Woman of the Year’ is a member that has gone above and beyond for the house, that is always a helping hand, that is always volunteering first, and she is nominated through other BPWSH members,” said Downey.

Another significant accomplishment was adopting a local road in Boca Raton dedicated to the BPWSH. The scholarship house members also perform clean-ups for this road. 

According to the house members, being a part of the house is not only an opportunity for members to network, build a community and contribute to the community, but also about helping those who are in need of affordable housing and have no other way of receiving a college education. 

“Donna Stover founded the first house in Tallahassee in 1965. Her dream was to attend college, but she couldn’t afford it,” said Downey. 

The organization strives to maintain its legacy and purpose of being a pillar in the community, serving as an open-door home for women looking for a family within their college experience.

“The organization is all about foster[ing] a spirit of cooperation based on participation of residents,” explained Ariadna Encarnacion, business and management undergraduate student and the event coordinator at BPWSH.

Isabella Visbal is a Staff Writer for the University Press. For questions about this story or others, contact Isabella at ivisbal2020@fau.edu.