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 Millennium 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 Millennium Scholars maintaining satisfactory academic progress;

• Graduate school funding for continuing Gates Millennium 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.

Program Accomplishment:

• Funded more than 12,000 Gates Millennium Scholars since the inception of the program

• Obtained a 77.6% graduation rate in five years*

• Supported Gates Millennium Scholars enrolled in more than 1,500 colleges and universities

• Supported Gates Millennium Scholars representing 50 states and five outlying areas

• Graduated 3,912 Gates Millennium Scholars since the program's inception

• Five year retention rate of 87.5%*

*Reflects cohorts 1 and 2

Administration:

The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is the administrator of the GMS program. To reach, coordinate and support the constituent groups, UNCF has partnered with the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund to assist in implementing the program.

The GMS Advisory Council has six members: five members from higher education and one member representing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Advisory Council members include:

• Dr. Gilberto Cardenas, Assistant Provost, Institute of Latino Studies at University of Notre Dame

• Dr. David Chang, Chancellor, Polytechnic University

• Mr. James Larimore, Dean of Students, Swarthmore College

• Dr. Piedad Robertson, former President, Education Commission of the States

• Dr. David V. Taylor, Provost, Morehouse College

• James H. Shelton, III, Program Director, Education, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The GMS program is more than just a scholarship. The GMS program offers Gates Millennium Scholars with ACademic Empowerment (ACE) services to encourage academic excellence; mentoring services for academic and personal development; and an online resource center that provides internship, fellowship and scholarship information.