Do you remember your first college dorm room?
Mine was plastered with G-Unit and Juelz Santana magazine tear-outs and outfitted with a scratchy twin-XL comforter and an undersized area rug. It missed feng shui standards by a mile. It was a place to crash between classes and study sessions, and it looked like it.
These days, college student decor is a regularly trending display of personal style, comfort, and identity. And a new grant program is out to help young Black students entering HBCUs design the living quarters of their dreams.
Home fragrance brand Space announced today its Inherit the Room Dorm Room Design Grant, a program that will fund and fully design dorm rooms for Black male high school seniors heading to historically Black colleges and universities this fall.
Six scholars will be selected for the inaugural cohort, each receiving a $3,000 budget to deck out their dorm rooms. Instead of a stipend, Space will manage the entire process, pairing recipients with designers to conceptualize, source, and bring the look to life. Recipients will also receive a bundle of Space fragrance products.
Read More: Space Is the Black-Owned Fragrance Brand That Will Make Your Home Smell Like Luxury
The program is personal for Space founders Ronn Richardson and Daniel Scott, who attended Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College, respectively, and say their own college transitions shaped the idea.
“While most college funding focuses on tuition, academics, or general need, very little attention is given to the physical environment students live in every day,” reads a Space press release. “The program brings intention, function, and care into an area of student life that is often overlooked, giving recipients a stronger starting point as they enter college.”
The design grant will be funded through brand partnerships, donations, and a portion of revenue from sales of Space’s latest fragrance, Legacy, which was unveiled earlier this year as a candle and room spray.
The program will extend beyond Freshman Week, with initiatives to support the cohort throughout the academic year through virtual meet-ups and mentorship from Black professionals and HBCU graduates. The long-term vision is to grow a connected network of program alumni.
Applicants will be asked to submit an essay, a short video, and a visual mood board outlining how they want their first living space away from home to look and feel. Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and provide proof of HBCU enrollment.
Applications open in late April and close May 31, 2026. Recipients will be announced in August.
Space is a Black-owned fragrance brand bringing a luxurious spin to the market, rooted in its founders' shared passion for travel, interior design, and wellness. The brand's products are created with clean, vegan, ethically sourced ingredients.
If you’ve got youngsters in your life who are embarking on their boys-to-men journey like Wayna, put them onto this dope opportunity to have the flyest room in their freshman dorm. Hit up Space for more information.