Laura Bush Welcomes Recipients of the United Negro College Fund Liberty Scholarship to White House

The College Fund (UNCF)
Monday, 5 November 2001

Fairfax, VA, October 26, 2001 – Laura Bush today welcomed the first recipients of the new United Negro College Fund (UNCF) scholarship for children of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to the White House.

"The UNCF Liberty Scholarship represents a truly meaningful response to the tragic events of September 11," said Mrs. Bush. "The President and I are both strong supporters of UNCF and the historically black college and university community. We applaud UNCF's efforts to ensure all children of victims will be given an opportunity to continue their education and make positive contributions to our nation."

The first three recipients are UNCF students who lost a parent or guardian in the tragedy. Tiffany and Yolanda Smith, freshmen twins at Johnson C. Smith University, lost their father, Leon Smith, Jr., a New York City firefighter, Ladder Company 118, in the World Trade Center attack. Vernessa Richard, a senior at Johnson C. Smith University lost her father, Capt. Vernon Richard, a New York City firefighter, Ladder Company 7, in the World Trade Center attack.

Scholarships will be offered to any child, regardless of age, who lost a parent or guardian, as a result of the tragedy. They will be eligible to receive a full scholarship for a college education at one of the United Negro College Fund's (UNCF) 39 member colleges and universities.

"The terrorist attacks have significantly impacted the lives of thousands of children," said William H. Gray, III, President and CEO, UNCF. "It's crucial that all of the children who were touched by the events of September 11 receive support to continue their education."

UNCF will not establish a special fund for this initiative. It is making this commitment from the generous support UNCF has received and will continue to receive from its donors. UNCF was founded 57 years ago in New York. Since that time, UNCF has raised nearly $1.8 billion to help deserving young people go to college. A large portion of that support has come from corporations, individuals and foundations in the New York community.

"As President of one of the UNCF member institutions most impacted by September 11, I am deeply gratified that our organization has taken a leadership role in providing access to higher education to the victims of the terrorists attacks," said Dr. Dorothy Yancy, President of Johnson C. Smith University.

UNCF's Liberty Scholarship program will be based on the following eligibility criteria:

Student must be dependent of a parent or guardian who perished or was permanently disabled in the September 11, 2001 tragic events.

Student must be accepted or enrolled full-time into one of the 39 UNCF member colleges or universities.

Recipients must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the particular UNCF college or university.

Scholarships will be awarded based on financial need and will cover the cost of tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies.

UNCF hopes that other colleges and universities around the country join UNCF in making the guaranty of a college education possible for each and every victim of the September 11th tragedy because, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."

United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is the nation's oldest and most successful African American higher education assistance organization. The organization has enhanced the quality of education by providing financial assistance to deserving students, raising operating funds for our 39 member colleges and universities, and increasing access to technology for students and faculty.

UNCF administers more than 450 scholarships and fellowships to students and faculty who attend our member colleges and universities, other historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and majority institutions throughout the country. In its 57-year history, UNCF has raised nearly $1.8 billion to promote higher education achievement and has helped more than 300,000 students earn undergraduate and graduate degrees. For more information on UNCF visit www.uncf.org.

For more information, or to contact The College Fund (UNCF), see their website at: www.uncf.org