A new $4.5 million-a-year scholarship was announced today, titled the Buick Achievers Scholarship Program. It will be awarded to 1,100 college-bound students nationwide and is renewable for four years, which could bring the total individual scholarship to as much as $100,000. The scholarship will recognize those that have excelled in the classroom and community, but also consideration will be given to a first-generation college student, a military veteran or dependent of military personnel, and those from a diverse background.
The GM Foundation plans to start a new group of 100 students on the renewable scholarships of up to $25,000 each year. In total, the annual funding could reach $18 million annually after four years.
“As a company, and as a nation, we have a responsibility to support opportunities for higher education,” said Dan Akerson, GM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “The Buick Achievers scholarship will help foster the next generation of leaders destined to develop future innovative solutions to global issues.”
According to the College Board, college tuitions rose at least 6 percent last year, making it increasingly difficult for students to pay for their education. The Buick Achievers Scholarship Program was developed to help address this need.
“The Buick Achievers Scholarship Program is one of the premiere scholarship programs in the country,” said Donald E. Lassere, senior vice president, Scholarship America, the nation’s largest nonprofit, private sector scholarship and educational support organization. “The high-dollar value and renewability of the awards will provide recipients with a tremendous benefit throughout their college careers.”
To be eligible for the Buick Achievers scholarship, applicants must be high school seniors or high school graduates entering college for the first time in the fall of 2011; plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited four-year college or university for the entire 2011-12 academic year; and demonstrate an interest in the automotive industry. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have permanent residence in the United States. Other criteria include being a first-generation college student, female, minority, military veteran or a dependent of military personnel.
Information and applications are available at www.buickachievers.com. Applications will be accepted through March 31, 2011, and scholarships will be awarded for the 2011-2012 academic year.
