Family says Juneteenth Foundation withheld $10,000 scholarship from winner

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. - It's a waiting game for one Prince George's County woman.

Janaan-Arie Akinmurele was promised a $10,000 scholarship over the summer that she hasn't seen yet.

In May, she submitted an application for the Juneteenth Freedom Scholarship, awarded by the Juneteenth Foundation in D.C.

A month later, Akinmurele and over a dozen other students found out they were recipients.

"In the email that we received it said in order for you to receive the scholarship you have to come to the awards event," the Delaware State University senior said. 

Akinmurele said she did just that. She and the other winners attended the Juneteenth honors event at the Warner Theatre in Northwest.

She tells us that she didn't receive any information about the scholarship at the event.

In one of the foundation's Instagram posts, it says the money is for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the fall. 

"I emailed him, and I was trying to get information about when the scholarship was going to be dispersed. And he told me he would send me and the other recipients about how the process is going to go. I waited and didn't hear anything back," Akinmurele said. 

Weeks went by, and her family stepped in looking for answers.

"My grandma finally got in touch with the CEO of the foundation, and he told her ‘have your student sent me information and class schedule to verify that you are attending school,’" Akinmurele said.

She says she did everything they asked for, hoping she would get her scholarship before the school year starts.

Janaan-Arie Akinmurele 

"$10,000 is a lot of money. School is expensive. I'm in my last year of college. Things are on the line here," Akinmurele added. 

FOX 5 reached out to the Juneteenth Foundation several times. On Tuesday, they told us "scholarship distribution will begin this week".

Akinmurele said she also heard from the foundation on Tuesday. They told her they usually wait until the add-drop period before administering money. DSU's add-drop date was on Sept. 7th.

On Friday, we reached back out to the foundation, and they said "As of today, all scholarships have officially gone out to all students."

But students still don't know what that means. Akinmurele said all she got was a text from someone with the foundation. 

"He just texted me saying scholarships have been sent. I don't have confirmation that I have it. I might get it Monday since admin is closed and that whole financial aid process…" Akinmurele explained.

She hopes this is the last weekend she has to sit around and wait for a scholarship that she was promised months ago. 

Her message for the Juneteenth Foundation: "Just communicate better, so this can be avoided for students who end up applying next year."

FOX 5 is waiting to hear back from the foundation on the distribution process.