Gates Millennium Scholars Program
The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) program, established in 1999, is a 1.6 billion dollar initiative funded by grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Goal:
The goal of the GMS program 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 computer science, 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.
Providing seamless support from undergraduate through doctoral programs for students selected as Gates Millennium Scholars entering target disciplines.
Support for the cost of education by covering unmet need and self-help aid.
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.
GMS selected 1,000 new Scholars each year and we are now funding over 20,000 Gates Scholars since 2000.
Approximately 54% of scholars are first-generation students – the first ones in their families to go to college.
The average undergraduate GPA is just over 3.0.
The average first-year undergraduate student retention rate is 96.2% (Active or deferment) among Gates Scholars; the average second-year rate is 93.2% (Active/Deferment).
The six-year graduation rate is nearly 90%, compared to the 58% of all college students in America (for low-income students specifically, the number is around 41%).
Nearly 37.5% percent of Gates Millennium Scholars transition into graduate school after earning a Bachelor’s degrees.
Gates Millennium Scholars have enrolled in 1,742 different colleges and universities.
14,677 Gates Millennium Scholars have completed a degree since the Program’s inception.
Of the active entering Freshmen in the 2015 cohort, 40.9% (n=399) are attending highly selective colleges which admit one-third or fewer of their applicants. 51.1% (n=499) are attending colleges which admit 40% or fewer of their applicants. 58.7% (n=574) are attending colleges which admit less than half of their applicants.
Gates Scholars have come from all 50 states and all American territories and commonwealths.
Noël Harmon
President & Executive Director
Elena Anderson
Chief Operating Officer
Kalindi Doshi
Campus Engagement Manager
Melissa May
Program Director
Arianne Martin
Program Manager
Leangelo Acuna
Program Assistant
Angelique Albert
Executive Director
Vacant
Chief Operating Officer
Christa Moya
Director of Financial Aid & Student Services
Jinky Tenorio
Controller
Gabriel Bell
Campus Engagement Manager
Michael Bates
Academic Advisor
Nancy Moreno
Accounting Assistant
Adele Begay
IT Assistant
Erin Griego
Executive Assistant
Vina Chavez
Receptionist
Fidel Vargas
CEO
Victoria Hardy
Senior Vice President, Finance & Accounting
Maria Iraheta
Manager, Finance
Daniel Edeza
Senior Vice President, Scholarship Programs
Daniel Garcia
Vice President, Scholarship Administration and Processing
Nicole Alonzo
Senior Manager, Scholarship Administration and Processing
Mireya Saldana
Campus Engagement Manager
Tania Ramirez
Analyst, Scholarship Administration and Processing
Cristina Magana
Assistant, Scholarship Administration and Processing
Janelyn Amaya
Assistant, Scholarship Administration and Processing
GMS
Larry Griffith
Senior Vice President
Meredith Tatum
Senior Admin Assistant
Barry Nagle
Senior Research Associate
Outreach and Recruitment
Mary Williams
Director
Tanika Mangum
Relationship Manager
Operations Department
Julie Kim
Executive Director
Jay Kohn
Senior Relationship Manager
Damien Nugent
Director, Financial Aid
Donna Pascua
Senior Relationship Manager
John Llewellyn
Senior Business Analyst
Martha Bryant
Program Assistant
Leadership Development Staff
Kelvin Harris
Director
Justin Bailey
Relationship Manager
Aaron Stallworth
Senior Relationship Manager for Alumni Relations
Star Mayo
Program Assistant
Advisory Council
