Los Angeles, CA (November 25, 2015) –As part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s commitment to college access and success, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) has received a grant from the foundation to support the creation of a next generation scholarship program for low-income students of color.

The program, named The Gates Scholarship, is slated to launch in 2018 and will fund undergraduate education for 3,000 low-income students of color over a 10-year period.  Gates Scholars will be selected on the basis of both academic performance and demonstration of non-academic skills such as leadership.  In addition to financial support, the program will be designed to provide academic support and peer-networking through innovative technologies.

“HSF is honored and proud to have been selected as the administrator of The Gates Scholarship,” said Fidel A. Vargas, President & CEO, Hispanic Scholarship Fund. “The grant is an acknowledgement of our commitment to excellence and to educational opportunity for low-income students of color. We are now focused on ensuring the successful launch of The Gates Scholarship.”

About the Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Founded in 1975, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund empowers Latino families with the knowledge and resources to successfully complete a higher education, while providing scholarships and support services to as many exceptional Hispanic American students as possible.  HSF strives to make college education a top priority for every Latino family across the nation, mobilizing our community to proactively advance that goal – each individual, over a lifetime, in every way he/she can. HSF seeks to give its Scholars all the tools they need to do well in their course work, graduate, enter a profession, excel, help lead our nation going forward, and mentor the generations to come.  As the nation’s largest not-for-profit organization supporting Hispanic American higher education, the Fund has awarded over $470 million in scholarships and provides a range of impactful programs for students, HSF Scholars, Alumni, and parents.  For more information about the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, please visit: HSF.net.