FICO's Educational Analytics Challenge Returns for a Third Year, Empowering HBCU Students with AI Skills

FICO is returning its Educational Analytics Challenge for a third year, partnering with HBCUs nationwide to empower aspiring data scientists. The challenge provides students with a real-world problem to solve using data and AI, and FICO's Chief Analytics Officer will lead the program. This year's focus is on addressing authentic business problems through custom AI language model systems, and the challenge offers financial support and internship resources for participants.

FICO, a global leader in analytics software, has announced the return of its Educational Analytics Challenge for the Fall 2025 semester. This initiative, now in its third year, aims to cultivate the next generation of data scientists from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) nationwide. The challenge provides students with a semester-long program to solve real-world problems using data and AI, with a focus on custom AI language model systems this year [1].

The program is led by FICO’s Chief Analytics Officer, Dr. Scott Zoldi, and his team of industry data scientists. They will provide weekly lectures and mentorship to students, offering hands-on experience in AI, large language models, and chatbots. This year's challenge emphasizes addressing authentic business problems, covering the underlying mechanisms of neural networks, transformers, and FICO’s focused language model approach [1].

The participating HBCUs include Bowie State University, Delaware State University, Morehouse College, and Alabama A&M University. These institutions are excited to provide their students with this unique opportunity to gain industry experience and explore real-world applications of AI. Dr. Zhengtao Deng, Dean of the College of Engineering at Alabama A&M University, expressed enthusiasm for the program, noting its pivotal role in supporting the university's newly approved Data Science minor [1].

In addition to academic support, the challenge offers financial assistance to enhance analytics study for both universities and students. It also provides resources for internship opportunities, making it a comprehensive initiative to foster the growth of aspiring data scientists. FICO is proud to be a participant in the HBCU Partnership Challenge, an initiative led by Congresswoman Alma Adams and Congressman French Hill [1].

For more information about the FICO Educational Analytics Challenge and how to get involved, visit [FICO's website](https://www.fico.com/en/feac).

References:
[1] https://www.stocktitan.net/news/FICO/fico-educational-analytics-challenge-program-returns-for-a-third-fk78vftjl6bo.html