Ford Motor Company Fund Awards $50,000 to American Indian College Fund

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Aug 05, 2010, 08:00 ET

DENVER, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Indian College Fund received a grant of $50,000 from the Michigan-based Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. The grant will be used to continue the Ford Motor Company Corporate Scholars Program for the 2010-11 academic year, which will provide scholarship support to Native American students attending tribal colleges and mainstream universities.

To receive a scholarship, tribal college applicants must be pursuing a degree in one of the following fields: math, science, engineering, business, teacher training, or environmental science. Applicants from mainstream universities must be studying in one of the following fields: accounting, computer science, engineering, finance, marketing, or operations management. All applicants must be Native or have proof of descendancy.

In addition to supporting the named scholarship program for the past decade, the Ford Motor Company Fund has sponsored the American Indian College Fund's Annual Flame of Hope Gala since 2003. This prestigious event raises funds for Native student scholarships and awareness about the nation's 33 tribal colleges and universities.

"We are deeply honored to be recognized for our commitment and contributions to the American Indian College Fund," said Mike Schmidt of the Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. "At Ford, we understand that the strength of our country relies on the quality of its leaders and the education they receive. We are pleased to support Native American students in their pursuit of higher education."

"It is an honor to be continuing a partnership with such a renowned and respected corporation," said Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund. "We thank the Ford Motor Company Fund for their support of higher education in Indian Country."

About Ford Motor Company and Community Services

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services are committed to creating opportunities that promote corporate citizenship, philanthropy, volunteerism and cultural diversity for those who live in the communities where Ford operates. Established in 1949, and made possible by funding from Ford Motor Company, the Ford Motor Company Fund supports initiatives and institutions that foster innovative education, auto-related safety, and American heritage and legacy. National programs include Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies, which provides high school students with academically rigorous 21st century learning experiences, and Ford Driving Skills for Life - a teen-focused auto safety initiative. The Ford Volunteer Corps, established in 2005, continues Ford's legacy of caring worldwide. Through the Volunteer Corps, Ford employees and retirees participate in a wide range of volunteer projects in their communities. For more information on programs made possible by the Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, visit www.community.ford.com.

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