Press Release

Press Release

For Immediate Release
January 11, 2002

Contact: Neel Saxena, Outreach Coordinator

REMINDER: GATES MILLENNIUM SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE FEBRUARY 1, 2002

Washington, DC - Nomination guidelines and forms are now available for the third year of the Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) awards. Principals, teachers, guidance counselors, tribal higher education representatives, and other professional educators are invited to nominate students with outstanding academic records, strong leadership potential and commitment to community service. Nominators must act in their personal capacity. Institutional nominations will not be accepted. All applications materials must be postmarked or submitted online no later than February 1, 2002.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program was established in 1999 through a grant provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to provide African Americans, American Indians/ Alaska natives, Asian Pacific Islander Americans and Hispanic Americans with an opportunity to complete a college education.

The goal of GMS is to promote academic excellence and to provide an opportunity for thousands of outstanding students with significant financial need, particularly those intending to study mathematics, science, engineering, education or library science, to reach their fullest potential. Additionally, GMS provides opportunities for Scholars to prepare for leadership roles in their profession and communities through a comprehensive leadership development program. During its inaugural year, GMS selected more than 4,000 Scholars who are attending 937 colleges and universities at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

In the 2002-2003 academic year, degree-seeking students entering a college or university as freshmen, on a full-time basis that meet the GMS selection criteria will be considered for scholarships. An individual is eligible to be nominated as Gates Millennium Scholars if he or she:

- is African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American or Hispanic American;

- is a citizen or legal permanent resident or national of the United States;

- has attained a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale;

- will enter an accredited college or university as full-time, degree-seeking freshmen in the fall of 2002;

- has a significant financial need (i.e., meet the federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria); and

- has demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular, or other activities.

The United Negro College Fund (UNCF), with the support of the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the Organization of Chinese Americans, administers the Gates Millennium Scholars program.

Deadline for receipt of all materials is February 1, 2002.

Nomination materials and guidelines are available on the GMS website http://www.gmsp.org or call toll free at 1-877-690-4677.

For more information, please contact

Neel Saxena, Outreach Coordinator,

Organization of Chinese Americans, Inc.

Email: gmspinfo@ocanatl.org

Web: http://www.ocanatl.org/programs/gates.html

The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) is the Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) partner with the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. OCA is working with the APIA Advisory Committee which includes:

- Advocate Initiatives for Grassroots Access

- Asian and Pacific Americans in Higher Education

- Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies

- Japanese American Citizens League

- Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs Committee on Education

- Korean American Coalition

- Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics

- National Association for the Education & Advancement of Cambodian, Laotian & Vietnamese Americans

- National Federation of Filipino American Associations

- National Korean American Service & Education Consortium

- Native Hawaiian Community Base Education Learning Centers

- Network of South Asian Professionals - DC Foundation

- Organization of Chinese American Women

- Organization of Chinese Americans

- Pacific American Education and Scholastic Foundation

- Pacific American Executive Council

- Pacific American Foundation

- Southeast Asia Resource Action Center

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