Posiblidades de estudio para ecuatorianos con la fundacion de Bill y Melinda Gates

https://nominations.gmsp.org/GMSP_App/Default.aspx

Why GMS?

The increasing diversity of our society reminds us that all of America’s citizens must have access to higher education if our nation is to sustain and advance itself as a global, competitive democracy in the new millennium. The future of our economy and quality of life depend upon the preparation of a diverse cadre of leaders who can help build a stronger society. These potential leaders, especially those drawn from groups that have traditionally and historically been denied access to higher education, require the necessary support and opportunities to earn and complete a college education.

The Gates Millennium Scholars

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMS), funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was established in 1999 to provide outstanding, low income African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American*, and Hispanic American students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline area of interest. Continuing Gates Millennium Scholars may request funding for a graduate degree program in one of the following discipline areas: education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science. The goal of GMS is to promote academic excellence by providing thousands of outstanding students, who have significant financial need, the opportunity to reach their full potential.

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The Gates Millennium Scholars

In 1999, a bold vision of what America’s future would look like began to take shape. In that view, America’s leadership would include 20,000 individuals, all people of color, who would make a significant impact on the future direction of the nation. Coming from among the most financially needy students and attending the nation’s best colleges and universities, they would represent the extraordinary promise inherent among all highly academically capable individuals, no matter what their background. Moreover, the planners envisioned that the researched experiences of the student’s matriculation and retention, the fact of these individuals’ extraordinary successes to terminal degrees, and the testimony of their voices, would spark conversation, and perhaps debate, leading to public policies and added philanthropic contributions in support of similarly able and financially challenged young people. That vision of Bill and Melinda Gates was funded by a historic grant of more than 1 billion dollars to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) – still the largest single gift to any scholarship organization.

One of the most unique aspects of the GMS program is the partnership and collective efforts of the four partner organizations providing services to the Continuing Gates Millennium Scholars. GMS program staff members at the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars (AIGCS), the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF), the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) and UNCF serviced students from all fifty states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is truly a national effort.

More Than a Scholarship

The GMS program offers leadership development programs with distinctive personal, academic and professional growth opportunities including mentoring services and an online resource center that provides up-to-date information on internship, fellowship, and scholarship opportunities, as well as graduate and post-graduate resources and conferences.

Who’s Eligible?

Students are eligible to be considered for a GMS scholarship if they:

• Are African American, American Indian/Alaska Native*, Asian Pacific Islander American** or Hispanic American
• Are a citizen, national or legal permanent resident of the United States
• Have attained a cumulative high school GPA of 3.3 on an unweighted 4.0 scale or have earned a GED
• Will be enrolling for the first time at a U.S. accredited***college or university as a full-time, degree-seeking, first-year student in the fall 2009
• Have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular, or other activities
• Meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria
• Have completed and submitted all three required forms (Nominee Personal Information form, Nominator form, and Recommender form) by the deadline

*American Indian/Alaska Native Requirements: American Indian/Alaska Natives will be asked to provide proof of tribal enrollment or certificate of descent from a state or federally recognized tribe if selected as a GMS Candidate.

**Asian Pacific Islander American include persons having origins from Asia and/or Pacific Islands. Asian includes persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent. Pacific Islander includes persons having in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. Citizens of the republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau are eligible to be nominated. This is not an all inclusive list.

***To be eligible for the GMS scholarship, the student must matriculate at a college or university that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary on Education. The following are accreditation resources: Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education Programs Candidates; American Council of Education published in consultation with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation; Higher Education Directory published by Higher Education Publications, Inc.

Nominees who meet all of the eligibility requirements and who are selected as GMS candidates must include a Federal Pell Grant as part of their financial aid package for the 2009-2010 academic year. To determine their Pell Grant eligibility, Nominees must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid Programs. Nominees are urged to file a 2009-2010 FAFSA at the earliest opportunity and no later than February 1, 2009. Federal Pell Grants typically are awarded to families that demonstrate significant financial need. Eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant is a function of many factors, including dependency status, family income, family size, and the number of students in the family. To determine your eligibility, you and/or your parent(s)/guardian(s) should meet with your high school counselor or the financial aid officer at the college or university you plan to attend, or use the FAFSA forecaster tool at www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov. For more information visit www.fafsa.ed.gov.

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