The Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMS), established in 1999, was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The goal of GMS is to promote academic excellence and to provide an opportunity for outstanding minority students with significant financial need to reach their highest potential by:

• Reducing financial barriers for African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American and Hispanic American students with high academic and leadership promise who have significant financial need;

• Increasing the representation of these target groups in the disciplines of education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health and the sciences, where these groups are severely underrepresented;

• Developing a diversified cadre of future leaders for America by facilitating successful completion of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees;and

• Providing seamless support from undergraduate through doctoral programs, for students selected as Gates Scholars entering target disciplines.

The GMS Scholarship Award Provides:

• Support for the cost of education by covering unmet need and self-help;

• Renewable awards for Gates Scholars maintaining satisfactory academic progress;

• Graduate school funding for continuing Gates Scholars in the areas of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science;

• Leadership development programs with distinctive personal, academic and professional growth opportunities.

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