Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation Receives $250,000 Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

SAN DIEGO, California -- The Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation recently received a $250,000, five-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support operating costs, allowing the organization to continue its 42-year-old tradition of passing along 100 percent of contributed funds to high achieving young scientists.

"Our all-volunteer membership takes great pride in the fact that every dollar raised for scholarships goes directly to the scholars. To achieve this goal, our members have always covered all organizational and operating costs; these same members also give generously to the scholarships and spend many hours soliciting funds and organizing fundraising activities," said Dorothy Simpson, past president of the ARCS National Board and member of the Seattle ARCS chapter. "The grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will allow ARCS to support our escalating accounting and operational expenses, and explore new projects such as our Web site."

ARCS awards for scientific education are the largest of any private membership organization in the United States. Scholarships are awarded to colleges and universities approved by the National Board of ARCS. Students must meet the exacting standards and criteria established by ARCS. For the 1999-2000 academic year, ARCS awarded $3.15 million to 399 students at 40 schools.

Comprised of volunteer members, 12 ARCS chapters (Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Lubbock, Metropolitan Washington, Northern California, Orange County, Phoenix, San Diego and Seattle) contribute nearly $34 million to scholarships and fellowships.

A student receiving a scholarship must have a high scholastic record and demonstrated ability, be a citizen of the United States, and be in need of financial assistance. Students interested in ARCS scholarships should contact the financial aid or science departments at participating universities, or visit the ARCS website (www.arcsfoundation.org).