Multi-Grammy and Emmy Winning Music Icon Lizzo Flexes Her UH Pride With ‘Sasha Be Flooting’ Scholarship

For the second year, international music superstar Lizzo is generously offering a $50,000 scholarship to one very special University of Houston student.

The “Sasha Be Flooting Scholarship” was first created and awarded last year to a music student in UH’s Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts. The scholarship was created as part of Lizzo’s annual Juneteenth Giveback campaign to uplift and empower communities.

The goal of the scholarship is to change the life of a student majoring in music at the Moores School of Music. Established and administered by the University of Houston Alumni Association Foundation, the scholarship is anticipated to cover the entirety of the recipient’s tuition throughout their four-year collegiate journey.

Lizzo, or Melissa Jefferson, attended UH on a music scholarship in the mid-2000s, playing the flute in the Spirit of Houston marching band. Today her flute has its own name, Sasha Flute, which has its own Instagram following of 326,000 fans – hence, the unique name of the scholarship.

Since her days on the UH campus, Lizzo has gone on to receive accolades such as a Primetime Emmy, four Grammys, an NAACP award, a Billboard Music Award, two Soul Train awards and a BET award, among others.

“Music has been my sanctuary, my therapy and my voice. It has lifted me up during the toughest times and connected me with a community that embraces diversity and individuality,” said Lizzo.

“I’m so proud to help talented Black musicians achieve their dreams at the University of Houston. I hope this empowers students everywhere to follow their passion and to make a difference through music.”

Andrew Davis, dean of UH’s McGovern College of the Arts, expressed his deep gratitude for Lizzo’s generosity and commitment to supporting the next generation of music students at the University of Houston.

“This scholarship is life-changing and will create opportunities and open doors that will make a lasting impact on a student's life and their journey toward building a successful music career,” said Davis. “Our students draw inspiration from Lizzo’s legacy of unwavering passion, resilience and exceptional musical innovation.”