Would a Ukrainian ever be selected for this?

There was a time when I would have been really excited about something like this and rushed to sign up.

... BMI is sponsoring the FastStart to Radio Success Minority Scholarship Program, a needs-based program that provides full tuition for 25 minority students to the Gary Fries Radio Advertising Bureau Radio Training Academy.

Recipients are selected by the FastStart Scholarship Committee, which bases its decision on various criteria including ethnicity, overall need, enthusiasm toward a career in radio sales, and recommendations from the applicant's professional associates. The committee includes radio industry professionals with credentials and/or interest in the ethnic and cultural diversity of the radio business.

Eventually I learned that there are other "criteria" in many such programs that immediately disqualify Ukrainians ... criteria that are unspoken and unpublished, of course.

Still, I suppose I shouldn't discourage anyone who might be interested in applying. You never know... Besides, it is a private, not government, organization and they do make this claim on their website:

FastStart is a needs-based scholarship focused specifically on minority communities. There is no minimum requirement for ethnicity, although you will be asked to volunteer affiliation with a specific ethnic population. Nominations are chosen by a selection committee, taking into account ALL information provided in a given application.

Deadline is midnight Friday, June 9, 2006.