The Gates Millennium Scholars and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are two Bill Gates scholarship opportunities that students can explore. Bill Gates is one of the most well-known faces in the technology industry as well as being one of the wealthiest men in the country. The driving force behind Microsoft Computers dropped out of Harvard in 1975, but uses his personal fortunes to endow charitable foundations and college scholarship funds with billions of dollars.
About Bill Gates' Scholarship
Gates' Millennium Scholars program began with a $1 billion grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation in 1999. The GMS offers scholarships and financial grants to minorities who seek higher education and excellence. Minorities supported by the GMS program include:
- African American
- American Indian
- Alaskan Natives
- Asian Pacific Islander Americans
- Hispanic Americans
Students must demonstrate financial need as well as leadership and academic promise. The scholarships greatly favor those students who express interests in library science, public health, mathematics, engineering and education. These fields are all considered greatly underrepresented within the U.S. The Foundation believes that students entering these targeted disciplines should be supported to help build a stronger infrastructure for the future.
How to Apply
Students interested in applying for scholarship and grant opportunities from the GMS or the Gates Foundation should visit their respective websites. Deadlines for applications are usually January previous to the Academic year being applied for. For example, students interested in a scholarship or grant for the 2010-2011 school year should apply by January of 2010. The application process includes submitting essays detailing why applicants would benefit from the scholarship and how they would use their education to improve the lives of others. Students should demonstrate leadership and academic excellence with plenty of devotion to public works, community service and good grades. The foundation projects that it will provide full support scholarships to more than 27,000 students going forward.
Multiple Scholarship Opportunities
The GMS and the Gates Foundation offer multiple Bill Gates scholarship opportunities for students to explore.
- Mary Gates Scholars - This scholarship program specifically targets and supports undergraduate students attending or planning to attend the University of Washington.
- Gates Millennium Scholarships - This scholarship program provides financial scholarships and funds for tuition to minority students attending undergraduate and graduate schools.
- Gates Cambridge Scholarships - This scholarship provides students from outside the United Kingdom with funding to attend graduate school at Cambridge University.
- Gates Public Service Law Scholarships - This scholarship provides University of Washington students with tuition support to pursue law degrees.
Bill and Melinda Gates have turned their billion-dollar empire into an empire of philanthropy devoted to literacy and education of students from low-income families. Since the inception of the foundation, they have literally given away billions in scholarships and grants. Their devotion to these causes is demonstrated through their efforts to continually grow the higher education opportunities for students from all walks of life.
