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A scholarship program is available to help African-American and Hispanic communities that are disproportionately affected by hepatitis C-a blood-borne viral infection of the liver which chronically infects more than 2.7 million Americans.
The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund (TMSF) and Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) have joined together for a second year to sponsor the New Horizons Scholars Program which will provide college scholarships to African-American and Hispanic students who have hepatitis C or are dependents of a person with the disease. The New Horizons Scholars Program is funded by The Roche Foundation.
These scholarships will help support the educational imperatives of African-American and Hispanic students in this country. According to a recent report by American Council on Education Office of Minorities in Higher Education, the college participation rate for African-American high-school graduates (ages 18 to 24) was 39.4 percent in 2000, while the rate for Latinos reached 36.5 percent.
"The New Horizons Scholars Program is a unique partnership that was established last year, and aims to create additional financial resources to cover the costs of higher education for Hispanic and African-American students impacted by hepatitis C," said Nicole Lee-Haley, major gift officer for TMSF. "We're very excited to continue this program with our partners and hope to positively impact the lives of these students through this important scholarship program."
The New Horizons Scholars Program will provide up to 50 scholarships to students planning to enroll for the first time in a four-year college during the fall of 2004. Students will be eligible for $2,500 per year for four years, and must maintain the program's academic standard of 2.5 GPA. Scholarship winners will be notified in late spring 2004.
"Supporting the higher education of Hispanics and African Americans is a critical investment in America's future," said Mario De Anda, HSF director of scholarship programs. "The New Horizons Scholars Program is a strong partnership with the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund to help provide educational opportunities to our communities and make a difference in the lives of our students."
For more information on this program or to apply, contact toll-free 1-866-346-7496. To download an application, visit www.hsf.net or www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org. Applications must be postmarked no later than February 20, 2004.
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