The Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholars is a scholarship program funded by a one billion dollar grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant is a twenty year commitment designed to fund the college education of twenty thousand high achieving, underrepresented minority students. This program is also designed to help develop a group of leaders that represent the ethnic diversity of America in the 21st century.

The application period runs from October to January 1 (deadline) each academic year.

The Gates Millennium Scholar Program is administered by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). To assist in the implementation of this Program, the UNCF established partnerships with The American Indian Graduate Center AIGC Scholars, The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF). The result of these partnerships is that during the inaugural year, GMS received over 62,000 submissions.

Goals

• To reduce the financial barriers for African-American, Hispanic American, Native American/Alaskan Native and Asian & Pacific Islander American students with high academic and leadership promise who are at a significant economic disadvantage.
• To increase the representation of these target groups in the disciplines of mathematics, science, engineering, education and library science, where these groups are severely underrepresented.
• To develop a diversified cadre of future leaders for America by facilitating successful completion of bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees.
• To provide seamless support from undergraduate through doctoral programs for students entering target disciplines.

For additional Information please call 1-877-690-GMSP, or AIGC Scholars at 1-866-884-7007 toll free.