Free tuition is a hot topic in today’s news headlines and is capturing the attention of many celebrities. Most recently, Chrissy Teigen offered to pay a woman’s tuition for beauty school when she didn’t have the opportunity to get financial aid.

Beginning this fall, undergraduate students who attend a state university or college in New York will be eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship if their families less than $100,000 a year. It is geared towards full-time students taking 30 or more credits per year, but according to Governor Andrew Cuomo, that requirement is flexible.

To keep their talent in-state, students who receive the scholarship must live and work in New York for the same number of years they received funding. If they move, their scholarship is transformed into a loan.

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This basic idea was originally proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in January and lawmakers agreed to include it into the state budget last weekend.

“Today, college is what high school was — it should always be an option even if you can’t afford it,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement.

An estimated 200,000 students would be eligible for the scholarship and it’s estimated to cost the state at least cost $163 million in the first year.

The savings of more than $4,000 each year is a benefit to students and promotes the pursuance of education. Students will still need to pay for the costs of fees and housing, which can add up to more than $14,000 per year, but the program hopes to encourage more young adults in New York to pursue higher education.

Last month, Ellen DeGeneres surprised an entire senior class from Brooklyn with free tuition with the same goal in mind. Promoting education for those that don’t have the means to afford it.

The budget also includes aid for students that attend New York private universities. They’ll receive a maximum award of $3,000 based on family income. Colleges that participate must match that funding and agree to keep the student’s tuition expense the same while they’re enrolled.

Other states and cities including Tennessee, Oregon, San Francisco offer free tuition for community colleges for all residents, regardless of income. New York is the first state to make tuition free for four-year public colleges for qualifying residents.

Stay linked to GoodCelebrity.com for more positive news stories and events! And don’t miss our exclusive interviews, all right here on our YouTube page.

The post Breaking: State of New York Leads the Free Tuition Movement appeared first on Positive Celebrity News, Good Celebrity Gossip, Positive Entertainment News | Good Celebrity.

On the Thursday, February 23 episode of The Ellen Show, the comedian surprised 41 kids from Summit Academy Charter School in Brooklyn, NY, with four-year college scholarships courtesy of Walmart.

“These students deserve a chance, and thanks to Walmart they’re all getting one. This is almost too unbelievable to be true,” read a caption on the show’s Instagram account. The scholarships, which total $1.6 million, are good for any state university in New York.

Ellen previously had the school’s founder, Natasha Campbell, and principal, Cheryl Lundy Swift, on her program and presented them with a check for $25,000.

Located in a neighborhood where only four percent of adults went to college, the first graduating class from Summit Academy boasted a 93 percent college enrollment rate.

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The latest recipient of an Ellen good deed was high school English teacher Ekhlas Ahmed, a refugee from Darfur, Sudan. During a recent broadcast, Ellen read aloud from a letter Ekhlas wrote about how she learned English by watching the daytime talk show.

An emotional Ekhlas sat in the audience listening as Ellen read the brief note before joining her on stage.

“I wanted to write it because I wanted to let you know how I felt,” Ekhlas told Ellen while fighting back tears. “I was a senior in college and I was thinking, besides my parents, who was the person that helped me get here? Who was that person? And I couldn’t think of anybody except for you! So I decided to write you a letter.”

When she was 12 years old, Ekhlas and her family fled Sudan for the United States after the War in Darfur led to the genocide of hundreds of thousands of civilians.

In the decade since her arrival, Ekhlas attended school and became an AmeriCorps ESL teacher at Casco Bay High School in her adopted hometown of Portland, Maine.

“It is so important for me to be there for the students and for me to be a role model for them, because when I was their age, I didn’t have someone that was an immigrant from Africa, an immigrant who went through college and graduated, and didn’t speak English but now is in a classroom in front of them, so I wanted to give them that,” said Ekhlas, her is currently getting her Masters in Education.

In addition to teaching, Ekhlas is also an activist and has spoken at the United Nations about the genocide happening in her home country. Finding a creative way to help the people of Sudan, Ekhlas created a calendar, which features her students and facts about their respective homelands. Proceeds from every purchase go towards building a school in Sudan.

Ellen revealed that the calendar would be made available for purchase in her online shop. Then she dropped a real bombshell.

In a joint effort with Shutterfly, Ellen surprised Ekhlas with a check to cover her grad school debt, a gift totaling $22,000.

Ellen spends many afternoons chatting with the most famous faces in the world, but it’s her generous spirit that makes her a good celebrity.

Photo credit: Ellen Tube

The post Ellen DeGeneres Inspires Sudan Refugee to Learn English & Become a Teacher: Watch Now! appeared first on Positive Celebrity News, Good Celebrity Gossip, Positive Entertainment News | Good Celebrity.

In honor of the end of 2016, we’ve tracked down the 16 best, most creative mannequin challenges

Taylor Swift

#mannequinchallenge @todrick @marthahunt @dr.jari @lilydonaldson @austinkingsleyswift @leahmccarthy

A video posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Nov 24, 2016 at 5:40pm PST

Taylor Swift was far from a recording studio when she and her pals (including brother Austin Swift) froze during a chilly day on the beach. However, they could only resist the beats of Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles” for so long.

Destiny’s Child

A video posted by kellyrowland (@kellyrowland) on Nov 7, 2016 at 9:13am PST

It’s always refreshing to see the ladies of Destiny’s Child together again, whether it’s at the Super Bowl or in a playful setting such as this one.

Britney Spears

We use our bodies to make our own #MannequinChallenge THANK YOU for voting #PieceOfMe for @TheBestOfLV!!!

A video posted by Britney Spears (@britneyspears) on Nov 12, 2016 at 6:08pm PST

Another blast from the past, Britney Spears took a break from rehearsal for her Britney: Piece of Me Las Vegas show to pause for the camera as her new single “Slumber Party” plays in the background.

Adele

Mannequin challenge

A video posted by @adele on Nov 7, 2016 at 4:48pm PST

Adele gets bonus points for her creativity which includes a cowboy-themed Mannequin Challenge, Johnny Cash soundtrack, and sepia filter, which she previously used in her music video for “Hello.”

Paul McCartney

Love those Black Beatles #MannequinChallenge pic.twitter.com/aAu9umHKI7

— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) November 10, 2016

Paul McCartney became a household name during the 1960’s as a part of The Beatles, but the legendary musician goes solo for his Mannequin Challenge behind the keys of a piano.

Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart took the Mannequin Challenge to the weight room where the comedian impressively remained still while supporting a large amount of weight during a squat session.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Fresh off being announced as People’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” Hart’s Central Intelligence co-star Dwayne Johnson took part in the Mannequin Challenge numerous times including during the premiere of his movie Moana and backstage at a taping of Ellen.

Ellen DeGeneres with Warren Beatty

Speaking of Ellen, everyone’s favorite daytime talk show host gave us a glimpse backstage of her hit show which included a “how they’d do that” shot of a ping pong ball in mid-air and a cameo of screen legend Warren Beatty.

This isn’t the only time you’ll see Ellen on the list.

James Corden

James Corden and the crew of The Late Late Show couldn’t stay confined to one room for their Mannequin Challenge. The camera explores the entire soundstage of the CBS late night show and Corden hustles to appear in the first and last shots of the video.

Kate Hudson, Courteney Cox and Friends

Mannequin Challenge Take 86 @erinfoster @sweetbabyjamie @jenmeyerjewelry @katehudson @rachelzoe @donatiennela @missemward

A video posted by Sara Foster (@sarafoster) on Nov 12, 2016 at 6:40pm PST

A backyard barbecue amongst celebrity friends (including Kate Hudson and Courteney Cox) came to halt to participate in the challenge. Though not the cleanest attempt at the trend, we give them points for hitting the pause button on a party which includes pets and kids. Not an easy task.

Dancing with the Stars

Also not easy, pausing in mid-dance. The cast and crew of the latest season of the hit reality competition took a timeout during rehearsal…then quickly got back to work.

Mark Ballas

Meanwhile in the groomsmen room moments before walking the aisle #mannquinchallenge #MarkandBCBallas @derekhough @divadarv @salmaida4 #lochlinbramlett @travisgarland @bobbynewberry @tj_paradise Suits by @groomofficial @octaviusterry @omcformal @rawhydemfg @pskaufman wedding style: @iammoniquelauren Watches by : @bgenius15

A video posted by markballas (@markballas) on Nov 28, 2016 at 10:57am PST

In the most dapper Mannequin Challenge yet, DWTS dancer Mark Ballas and his groomsmen stood still before he exchanged vows with his fiancé, singer-songwriter BC Jean.

Hillary Clinton Campaign

Don’t stand still. Vote today: https://t.co/jfd3CXLD1s #ElectionDay #MannequinChallenge pic.twitter.com/4KAv2zu0rd

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 8, 2016

Election Day didn’t turn out the way Hillary Clinton had hoped but the day started with a smile as she, her campaign staffers, Jon Bon Jovi, and her husband, 42nd President of the United States Bill Clinton, took part in the challenge on a jet and spread the message: “Don’t stand still. Vote today.”

Michelle Obama, LeBron James and the NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers

From a former First Lady to the current one, Michelle Obama shared a selfie with LeBron James in the middle of the Cleveland Cavaliers challenge as the team celebrated its first NBA championship with a trip to the White House.

Ellen’s White House Mannequin Challenge

Ellen returns on the list to top Mrs. Obama and Mr. James with the most star-studded Mannequin Challenge yet.

Two years after she nearly broke the internet with her Oscar selfie, the comedian got everyone at the recent Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House to participate in the trend.

Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bruce Springsteen, Bill Gates, Diana Ross, and Michael Jordan are among the famous faces making an appearance.

Pentatonix

We took on the #MannequinChallenge with an audience of 8,000 people during our show last night!!! SO CRAZY! #PTXWorldTour pic.twitter.com/iFWeyzuMvB

— Pentatonix (@PTXofficial) November 18, 2016

A cappella group Pentatonix can’t beat Ellen’s attempt as far as celebrity cameos go, but they surpass every video on the list in sheer number of people as they got 8,000 audience members at a November concert to stay still for one whole minute. Impressive stuff.

Stay linked to GoodCelebrity for more of the latest celebrity news stories!

Photo Credit: Instagram

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Comedienne Ellen DeGeneres will receive this year’s Favorite Humanitarian Award. The People’s Choice Producers announced their selection earlier this week.

DeGeneres joins fellow celeb winners including Ben Affleck (2015), Jennifer Hudson (2014) and Sandra Bullock (2013).

In a statement, Degeneres said she is honored to receive this special award and joked that it  “sums me up perfectly as I am both a human and an itarian.”

The People’s Choice Award-winner doesn’t merely receive a trophy for her honor; she also receives a $200,000 donation from Walgreens to distribute to the charity of her choice. DeGeneres chose St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN as her beneficiary.

If only Bradley’s arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars pic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) March 3, 2014

The 57-year-old is a consistent supporter of St. Jude. That star-studded selfie she snapped while hosting 2014 Oscars drew the attention of Samsung. The company offered up $3 million for Ellen to share with two charities of her choice. DeGeneres shared $1.5 million with the children’s hospital and the remaining half with the Humane Society of the United States.

In addition to the Favorite Humanitarian Award, Ellen is vying for Favorite Talk Show Host.

Tune-in tonight at 9 pm EST on CBS to watch “Glee’s” Jane Lynch host the 2016 People’s Choice Awards.

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It has been announced that Gapkids and Ellen have partnered to create a new clothing line for children, all focusing on the fact that each child is different and, furthermore, important. Models for the new line include professional skateboarders, a professional female drummer and a nine-year-old engineer of prosthetic hands. Essentially, this is the perfect reflection of what Gap and Ellen want as the face of the new, diverse collaboration.

Vogue UK was the first to get an insider view of what the collection looks like. Ellen explained, “I think if we shine a light on real girls doing incredible things, that’ll encourage other girls and boys to do incredible things, and that’ll encourage even more people to do incredible things, and eventually the world will be a more ‘incredibler’ place.”

She adds: “I am thrilled that my lifestyle brand, ED, is partnering with Gap to encourage young girls to pursue their passion, whether it’s math, science, sports or the arts,” she told the trade. “Following my passion allowed me to be exactly who I am today — a talk show host with a vibrant side business as a party mime.””

The collection should launch just in time for back to school. The collection will include clothes for girls and a small assortment for boys which will be available in GapKids stores and on gap.com.

The post The New Ellen DeGeneres and Gap Collaboration Could Change the World appeared first on Positive Celebrity News, Good Celebrity Gossip, Positive Entertainment News | Good Celebrity.