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Jimmy Hester may be one of the only freshmen at Hampton University (Hampton, VA) who won't be worrying about how to pay his  

college tuition

  bills. That's because "Dr. Huxtable" will be doing it for him. In addition to playing the roles of actor, comedian, and education reform advocate, Bill Cosby is putting his money where his mouth is by providing a full college scholarships to Jimmy and three of his peers.

When a local newspaper ran an article about two high school students struggling to maintain grades and positions on the football team, and sustain enough money to eat, pay rent, and afford future college tuition bills, Cosby was intrigued. Both Jimmy and his current roommate, Loren Wilder, had been living on their own since the age of 15, supporting themselves entirely through part-time jobs and careful planning.

Impressed by their drive to succeed, "Uncle Bill" presented them with an intriguing question: "If you could go to any school in the country, where would you go?" Though Jimmy had planned on attending American International College (Springfield, MA) on a football scholarship, a private celebrity jet tour of three of the country's best educational institutions was hard to turn down.

After meeting with professors, counselors, and football coaches from Howard University (Washington, D.C.), Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA), and Hampton, both Jimmy and Loren decided on Hampton.

But the story doesn't stop there. After learning about the financial circumstances of two of the boys' close friends, Wesley White and Shamael Shortte, Cosby doubled the scholarship fund in an effort to keep the friendship together.

"I never knew that there were caring celebrities out there who would invest in a young person's future," says Wesley.

Today, armed with complimentary laptops, "the Cosby kids" are settling into a routine of diligent collegiate study with the promise of paying back Mr. Cosby with good grades and a tireless work ethic.

"Mr. Cosby has given me an opportunity and I am taking full advantage," says Jimmy. "I am very grateful to him."



Christina Couch is a frequent contributor to The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.

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