The Gates Millennium Scholars Program

A sector of our population which has, unfortunately, been neglected in furthering education is that of African Americans.  This is not a result of lack of desire; it is more the result of a lack of financial ability to attend college.  The awareness of this fact has lead to a slow, but steady, climb in grants, scholarships, and other forms of financial aid for people in a visible minority who wish to further their educational goals.  In the past ten years, more grants are now available than ever before!

There are many places to search for available grants and funding: the UNCF, the NAACP, various colleges dedicated to the higher education of African Americans, and more.  There are also non-government grants such as the Gates Millenium Scholars Program (GMS).  With the recipients of the GMS being African American, Native Indian/Alaska Native, Asian and Pacific Islander American, Hispanic Americans this program (GMS) is administered by the UNCF as partnered with American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the Asian & Pacific Islander Scholarship fund.

In order to be eligible for this program, the applicant must be:

• African American, Native Indian/Alaska Native, Asian and Pacific Islander American, or Hispanic American
• A citizen/legal permanent resident, or national of the United States
• having a cummulative grade point average of 3.3
• enrolling for the first time at a U.S. accredited college or university as a full-time, degree seeking, first year student; or GED
• able to demonstrate leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular, or other activities
• meet the Federal Pell Grant Eligibility criteria, and
• able to submit all 3 forms (nominee form, nominator form, recommender form) by the deadline.

The nominee form is that which the student fills out, the nominator form is filled out by an educator familiar with the student’s academic background, and the recommender form is filled out by a person familiar with the student’s leadership and community service.  This program not only provides financial aid, but many other services and support areas to more fully help their scholars complete their educational dreams and goals.

More detailed information, if you believe you may qualify, can be found at The Gates Millenium Scholars Program.