The 2011 Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) scholarship application is now available. GMS will select 1,000 talented students to receive a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice. We provide Gates Millennium Scholars with personal and professional development through our leadership programs along with academic support throughout their college career.

Our program is more than a scholarship—it’s an opportunity to change your life! Putting in the effort now to apply can be a worthwhile experience for super special students like you! Just ask Deonte Bridges how much the GMS scholarship means to him.

Students are eligible to be considered for a GMS scholarship if they:

• Are African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American or Hispanic American
• Are a citizen, national or legal permanent resident of the United States
• Have attained a cumulative high school GPA of 3.3 on an unweighted 4.0 scale or have earned a GED
• Will enroll for the first time at a U.S. located, accredited college or university in the fall of 2011 as a full-time, degree-seeking, first-year student (with the exception of students pursuing a high school diploma while concurrently enrolled). First-time college enrollees can also be GED recipients.
• Have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular or other activities
• Meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria
• Have completed and submitted all three required forms: the student’s application (Nominee Personal Information Form), an evaluation of the student’s academic record (Nominator Form) and an evaluation of the student’s community service and leadership activities (Recommender Form) by the deadline

The deadline for all submission is January 10, 2011 at 11:59p.m. EST. We look forward to reviewing your application soon.

Gates Millennium Scholars Program

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMS), established in 1999, was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The goal of GMS is to promote academic excellence and to provide an opportunity for outstanding minority students with significant financial need to reach their highest potential by:

• Reducing financial barriers for African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American and Hispanic American students with high academic and leadership promise who have significant financial need;
• Increasing the representation of these target groups in the disciplines of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health and the sciences, where these groups are severely underrepresented;
• Developing a diversified cadre of future leaders for America by facilitating successful completion of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees; and
• Providing seamless support from undergraduate through doctoral programs, for students selected as Gates Millennium Scholars entering target disciplines.

The GMS Scholarship Award Provides:

• Support for the cost of education by covering unmet need and self-help aid;
• Renewable awards for Gates Millennium Scholars maintaining satisfactory academic progress;
• Graduate school funding for continuing Gates Millennium Scholars in the areas of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science;
• Leadership development programs with distinctive personal, academic and professional growth opportunities.

Program Accomplishment:

• Funded more than 13,000 Gates Millennium Scholars since the inception of the program
• Obtained a 79.9% graduation rate in five years*
• Supported Gates Millennium Scholars enrolled in more than 1,500 colleges and universities
• Supported Gates Millennium Scholars representing 50 states and five outlying areas
• Graduated over 5,000 Gates Millennium Scholars since the program’s inception
• Five year retention rate of 87.7%*

*Reflects cohorts 1 through 4

Administration:

UNCF—the United Negro College Fund—administers the Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMS). To reach, coordinate and support the constituent groups, UNCF has partnered with the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund to assist in implementing the program.

The GMS Advisory Council has seven members: six members from higher education and one member representing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Advisory Council members include:

• Dr. Gilberto Cárdenas, Assistant Provost, Institute of Latino Studies at University of Notre Dame
• Dr. David Chang, former Chancellor, Polytechnic University
• Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, Financial Aid Service, Syracuse University
• Dr. Shaun R. Harper, Assistant Professor, Higher Education Management, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
• Carmen D. Lopez, Executive Director, College Horizons Inc.
• Dr. Raymund Paredes, Commissioner of Higher Education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
• Margaret Daniels Tyler, Senior Program Officer, Education, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The GMS program is more than just a scholarship. The GMS program offers Gates Millennium Scholars with ACademic Empowerment (ACE) services to encourage academic excellence; mentoring services for academic and personal development; and an online resource center that provides internship, fellowship and scholarship information.

Visit official website.

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Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the above information is current and correct. However, applicants should contact the appropriate administering body before making an application, as details do change frequently.