Through a $1 billion grant, to be administered over 20 years by the United Negro College Fund, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will provide tens of thousands of young people with the opportunity to attend the college or university of their choice without the burden of tuition, to help them advance their education and to build a diverse generation of new leaders in the United States.

Nearly half of all college-qualified low-income graduates and over two-fifths of college-qualified moderate-income graduates will not attend four-year colleges because of financial barriers.

The Gates Millennium Scholarship is part of a larger effort by the foundation and its partners to bring equity to the American educational system, ensuring that all young people have access to a high-quality education.

The United Negro College Fund, in partnership with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, and the Organization of Chinese Americans, administers the Gates Millennium Scholars program.