Apply for the Gates Millenium Scholars Program
and get a free ride to college

At a time when scholarships are hard to come by and the only sure way to move off island is to join the military, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program is offering aspiring high school seniors the chance to go to college for free.

The Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) is currently accepting applications, specifically from Asians and Pacific Islanders, for the Gates Millennium Scholars Program for 2008-2009.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program, which was created in 1999 and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, encourages low income minorities to attend college and allows them to do just that. Since its establishment in 1999, more than 11,000 scholarships have been awarded to qualified individuals.

Local boy Nestor Enguerra of Happy Valley, who was in the territory during the summer months, is a Gates Millennium Scholarship recipient whose undergraduate education at the University of Washington is being funded wholly under the program.

“I encourage all qualified high school seniors to take advantage of this grand opportunity to apply for a scholarship,” Congressman Faleomavaega Eni said in a statement.

Interested students can apply online at www.gmsp.org or pick up an application from Faleomavaega’s district office in Utulei.

Interested applicants are highly urged to apply online. The deadline to submit an online application is January 11, 2008, at 11:59 pm EST, while hardcopy or paper submissions must be postmarked by December 31, 2007.

Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, be eligible for a Pell grant, demonstrate leadership ability, and plan to enroll in a college or university as a full-time student in the fall of 2008. In addition, they must be nominated by a principal, teacher, counselor, higher education representative, or other professional educator.

“Students are allowed to choose an area of discipline in their undergraduate program,” Faleomavaega said. “The scholarship is renewable based on the student’s academic progress and timely application.”

He concluded, “Again, I encourage all eligible high school seniors to apply for a Gates Millennium scholarship. Also, I want to encourage our sophomores and juniors in high school to prepare early for scholarship opportunities such as the Gates Millennium and many other scholarships available for qualified students. Those who seek assistance regarding the Gates Millennium Scholarship and other financial assistance for education are welcome to contact my district office in Utulei by calling 633-1372.”