Bill and Melinda’s Gates Millennium Scholars Program

Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program helps promote academic excellence. It also creates opportunities for outstanding minority students who want to continue with their education but are financially-challenged.

Through the program, low income African-American, Native American, Hispanic American, and Asian-Pacific students are awarded scholarships and fellowships to help them uphold their outstanding academic performances by getting into the undergraduate and/or graduate institutions of their choice. Most of the program recipients are usually nominated by college presidents, professors, and deans after being identified as planning to continue undergraduate/graduate studies the following school year.

Established in 1999, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMS) rewards its undergraduate scholars with funds for tuition, fees, books, and living costs which are not included in a regular student’s financial package. Graduate scholars are given full financial support even up to the time they decide to pursue their doctorate. However, all the potential graduate scholars are required to take a full-time program of graduate study in order to be eligible awardees.

Leadership development programs that provide countless opportunities for personal, academic, and professional growth also make up part of the program’s initiatives.

Gates Millennium scholars come from different backgrounds but share a common goal of pursuing and fulfilling their academic and career aspirations. These awardees are recipients of various program services that not only encourage academic excellence but also become venues for academic improvement and personal development. Likewise, it helps cut back the need for college students to apply for loans in order to pursue their educational goals.

The program is administered by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) in cooperation with several partner groups like the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund.