Beyoncé has announced a scholarship programme to mark the one-year anniversary of her ‘Lemonade’ album.

The singer will offer scholarships to four young women studying creative arts, music, literature, or African-American studies. They will all be drawn from one of four US colleges: Berklee College of Music, Howard University, Parsons School of Design, and Spelman College.

The scholarships are designed to “encourage and support young women who are unafraid to think outside the box and are bold, creative, conscious and confident,” the singer said in a statement on her website. They will be available for the 2017-18 academic year. Eligible students can apply through the colleges’ respective websites.

Read: Brie-oncé: two artists spent 36 hours turning 40kg of cheese into the world’s grate-est pop star

Meanwhile, it has recently been reported that Beyoncé is wanted for a key voice role in Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King. She is said to be “top choice” to provide the voice of Nala the lion. 

As an actor, Beyoncé is best known for her roles in Dreamgirls, The Pink Panther and Austin Powers In Goldmember. Her last film appearance was a voice role in 2013’s Epic. She completed her Formation World Tour in support of her highly acclaimed Lemonade album in October.

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