Washington Education Foundation Partners with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on School Reform and Scholarship Program

SEATTLE -- A partnership between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Washington Education Foundation (WEF) will create the largest private scholarship program in the state. The Washington State Achievers Program will create thousands of new scholarship opportunities for low-income students from a handful of Washington state high schools. The program will work with 10-15 Washington state high schools committed to redesigning their teaching and learning environments, and will fund scholarships for low-income students at those schools.

"Redesigning our high schools so that all students are prepared for higher education is essential in today's economy," said William H. Gates, Sr., Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "This program is a tremendous opportunity for this state to both improve its secondary schools and increase the number of college-bound students."

The Washington State Achievers Program has three primary components: high school redesign, early college awareness and scholarships. The program will support the redesign of 10-15 Washington high schools into small, autonomous learning environments of no more than 100 students per grade level. Only students from these high schools will be eligible for the Achievers Scholarships. Selected schools will receive $500 per student to support redesign efforts and another $100 per student to strengthen early college awareness efforts at the middle school and junior high level. Redesign grants are five-year grants and include technical assistance.

The scholarships represent a 13-year, $100 million investment. Five hundred new four-year scholarships will be awarded each year for ten years, beginning in 2001. It is expected that after four years there will be 2,000 Washington State Achievers enrolled in school and receiving scholarships at any one time. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will administer the redesign and college awareness portions of the program, while the Washington Education Foundation will administer the scholarship component.

"The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's generous donation is a great complement to this state's Promise Scholarships. These two scholarship programs will open doors to higher education for thousands of students from throughout Washington state," said Governor Gary Locke. "Education has always been, and will continue to be my top priority. When an entity such as the Gates Foundation makes it a top priority as well, so much the better for the future of our students, and the future of education."

Created in 1999 by Governor Locke and the state legislature, the Promise Scholarships have provided more than 5,000 scholarships to Washington state students pursuing higher education at in-state institutions of higher education.

Bob Craves, CEO and President of WEF and a founder of Costco Wholesale, noted "The Washington Education Foundation evolved from Governor Locke's 2020 Commission on the Future of Postsecondary Education, which recommended the creation of an independent, nonprofit organization to build and sustain public understanding of the need for higher levels of educational attainment. The Washington State Achievers Program is a first step toward that goal."

Washington state public high schools with more than 100 students and at least 20 percent of the student population qualifying for free and reduced lunch have been invited to apply for the program. These 200 some high schools represent roughly two-thirds of Washington state high schools. Informational sessions for invited schools will be held in Seattle, Yakima and Spokane on January 11 and 12, 2001. After an intensive review of the applications, the two foundations will announce the selected schools in March 2001.

The first scholarships will be awarded to high school juniors and seniors beginning spring 2001, allowing the first class of Achievers Scholars to enter college fall 2001. In subsequent years, the application and selection process will occur during the students' junior year in high school. Scholarships will be awarded to highly motivated, low-income students who attend an Achievers' high school, are Washington state residents and plan to enroll in a Washington state public or private institution of higher education with a goal of a four-year degree.

"This is an extraordinary development. The University of Washington community is deeply grateful to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its commitment to improving educational quality and expanding access to higher education," said Richard L. McCormick, President of the University of Washington. "We are equally appreciative to the Washington Education Foundation for giving leadership to the administration of the scholarship program for low-income students. This is a potent partnership and we have no doubt that the citizens of the state will benefit greatly from it now and over time."

The WEF (www.waedfoundation.org) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization formed to provide economically disadvantaged and underrepresented students the educational and financial incentives necessary for them to attend the post-secondary institutions of their choice. The foundation currently administers two scholarship programs – the Washington State Achievers Program and the Costco Scholarship Fund.