Endowed & Annual Scholarship Opportunities
Building Champions For Life
Since its founding in 1972, the nonprofit Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program (HJTEP) has served more than 25,000 youth ages 5 to 18 in Central Harlem on a “first come” basis, fulfilling its mission to build champions in life through tennis, education, and wellness programs.
HJTEP is headquartered at the Harlem Armory Center which currently provides four indoor courts for after-school programming Monday – Saturday, serving 800 youth annually with a waitlist of more than 500. HJTEP also offers summer camp programs and clinics for 150-300 youth at six public courts located in Harlem and camp on six courts at Fordham University in the Bronx.
HJTEP student-athletes are engaged and remain with the program for an average of seven years Several alumni have returned as coaches, demonstrating the lasting impact of the HJTEP program on youth development and community engagement.
HJTEP programs teach beginners to play the sport of tennis and offer a pathway to earning college scholarships. In addition to on-court instruction, HJTEP’s Learning Resource Classroom (LRC) offers academic assessments to provide HJTEP participants with appropriate academic support. HJTEP student-athletes maintain a 3.1 GPA on average and receive homework help, private tutoring, SAT/ACT prep, and College/Career counseling. Since 1972, the statistics for HJTEP student-athletes are impressive:
• 95%+ graduate from high school
• 80%+ attend leading colleges and universities
• 65% receive non-athletic financial aid to attend college
• 25% earn tennis scholarships to continue to play and attend college
• $1.1 million in academic scholarships and financial aid was awarded to HJTEP students in 2024
In addition to academic and athletic support, the cornerstone of HJTEP’s wellness program is Tennis Against Obesity (TAO), which helps students, parents, and schools recognize and combat obesity by offering fitness and nutrition guidance. Guided meditation and mindfulness sessions complement the
wellness program, promoting mental wellness and physical fitness. HJTEP empowers students to grow into well-rounded individuals ready to succeed in all aspects of life through a holistic approach to personal development and character building.
Enrollment Data
HJTEP accepts students at any stage of development, from the first introduction to the game to advanced levels of play.
Aspiring student-athletes advance through the tennis program by progressing through each level of play: Grassroots I & II; Futures & Intermediate; High Performance I & II. Their ultimate goal is to earn a college scholarship after attaining high standards of play and academic achievement through HJTEP programs.
The HJTEP metrics for success in the tennis program include striving for 100% player retention while qualifying 36% of players for tournament play and with a goal of 15% of HJTEP athletes competing at the sectional level. The most advanced players will have also gained tournament experience at the national level.
Annual Expense To Fund HJTEP Program
The annual expense incurred by HJTEP for one competitive student to attend HJTEP year-round for 40 weeks is $10,000. This financial commitment presents a significant barrier to most families, thus limiting access to the sport. Therefore, HJTEP is committed to raising revenues to offset costs of offering programs, providing an impactful blend of tennis, education, wellness and personal development to under-resourced youth.
Endowed Scholarship Naming Opportunity
To address the challenge of raising revenues to offset program expenses, HJTEP, which is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, is introducing an interest-bearing endowed scholarship opportunity to be named as proposed by the donor. (Examples: Jane Doe HJTEP Scholarship or XYZ Company HJTEP Scholarship). All endowments will be recognized on the HJTEP website year-round.
Endowing one scholarship costs $200,000, which ensures that one student attends HJTEP tuition-free each year. This investment does more than remove financial barriers it creates a legacy of opportunity and empowerment, fostering future success for talented young student-athletes.
Annual Scholarship Fund
In addition to endowed scholarships, HJTEP is seeking funding for annual scholarships in the amount of $10,000 to underwrite athletes' expenses for one year of programming. Annual scholarship donors will be recognized on the HJTEP website year-round.
Both Endowed and Annual Scholarship donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.