The Gates Millennium Scholarship Program (GMS) is unique in that its purpose is to foster diversity in higher education by involving some unusual ethnic groups who have excelled in their high school studies. Gates Millennium Scholarship awarded in 2011 will be those who have had outstanding achievement in the areas of academic studies, community service and leadership potential.
Eligible students must be African American, American Indian/Alaska native, Asian/Pacific Islander American or Hispanic American. Beyond this requirement, the student must be a citizen, national or legal permanent resident of the United States. All applicants must also have achieved a GPA in high school or GED of at least a 3.3, and be a first time enrollee at a United States accredited college or university (unless they are still working on their high school diploma or GED and meet all the other requirements). They must be enrolled for the first time as a full-time, degree seeking first year student.
Beyond the academic qualifications, applicants must have demonstrated leadership skills through their participation in community service, extra curricular or other activities. They must meet requirements for a Pell Grant (more about that later) and must have completed and submitted the three mandatory scholarship application forms. The three forms include the Nominee Personal Information (basically the personal application), the Nominator Form (an evaluation of the student’s academic record), and the Recommender Form (an evaluation of the student’s community service activities). These forms can be found online and downloaded from the Gates Millennium Scholarship official website.
One thousand students will be awarded a Gates Millennium Scholarship in 2011. Thirteen thousand Gates Millennium Scholars have entered the program since its inception. These students have been enrolled in over 1,500 Unites States colleges and universities and have achieved an 80% graduation rate versus a 40% graduation rate for those college and university students not in the program. The program must be doing something right.
The Gates millennium Scholars Program has partnered with four organizations that provide continuing services to the program. There are GMS program affiliate staff members at the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars (AIGCS), the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF), the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). These organizations serve students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.
As mentioned previously, one of the requirements for a scholarship award is the awardee must be eligible for a Pell Grant. Students do not have to submit notification of eligibility until after they have been awarded the scholarship, however. The amount of the Pell Grant is predicated on the expected family contribution, the cost of attending the desired institution of higher learning, whether the student is enrolled full or part time and whether the student attends classes for the full academic year or something less.
Additionally, the student must be an undergraduate in an accredited university or college or in a post-baccalaureate level teaching credential program. The student cannot be incarcerated in a state or federal prison.
The maximum amount of the Pell Grant regardless of family dollar contribution is $5,500.00 for 2011. If the family contribution calculation results are substantial enough to decrease the loan amount to below $3,800.00, no grant will be given.
As you can see, by making the awards dependent on Pell Grant eligibility among other requirements, the GMS is directed towards students of lower income families. Most Pell Grants are granted to families with annual incomes of less than $20,000.00