San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians Provides Multi-Purpose Gift of $120,000 to American Indian College Fund

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Sep 21, 2010, 07:00 ET

DENVER, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Indian College Fund received a $120,000 grant from the Highland, California-based San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians. The grant will be divided to support three major initiatives: $50,000 will support the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians Tribal College Scholarship Program; $50,000 will go towards the Sovereign Nations Scholarship Fund Endowment, which provides scholarships to Native American students in perpetuity; and $20,000 will support this year's Flame of Hope Gala, which benefits Native student scholarships and raises awareness about the nation's 33 tribal colleges and universities.

"The American Indian College Fund is helping Native communities develop by positively impacting individual tribal members, giving each person an opportunity to attain personal goals and become role models for their families and their nations," said San Manuel Chairman James Ramos. "Our partnership is helping to set Indian Country on the path to a brighter future, one graduate at a time."

"We are honored to receive this grant from the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians," said Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund. "This generous gift will help ensure the success of these three very important projects."

About the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians

The San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians is a federally recognized American Indian tribe located near the city of Highland, Calif. The Serrano Indians are the indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys and mountains who share a common language and culture. The San Manuel reservation was established in 1891 and recognized as a sovereign nation with the right of self-government. Since time immemorial, the San Manuel tribal community has endured change and hardship. Amidst these challenges the tribe continued to maintain its unique form of governance. Like other governments it seeks to provide a better quality of life for its citizens by building infrastructure, maintaining civil services and promoting social, economic and cultural development. Today San Manuel tribal government oversees many governmental units including the departments of fire, public safety, education and environment. Visit www.sanmanuel-nsn.gov for more information on the tribe.

About the American Indian College Fund

With its credo "Educating the Mind and Spirit," the American Indian College Fund is the nation's largest private provider of scholarships for American Indian students, providing an average of 6,000 scholarships annually for students seeking to better their lives and communities through education and support to the nation's 33 accredited tribal colleges and universities. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org

SOURCE American Indian College Fund