A recent grant made possible by the Government of Mexico will allow Brenau University to help four students of Mexican origin offset tuition costs.
Qualifying students for the grant were born in Mexico or have parents who were born in Mexico. It comes from El Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior — translated to the Institute for Mexicans Abroad — which is a program implemented by the Government of Mexico to support Mexican students from low-income households living in the United States who are completing basic or higher education or pursuing technological careers.
Brenau received a grant of $10,000 from the institute and is matching the grant, creating $20,000 annually to offset tuition costs for four students over the academic year.
Brenau President Anne Skleder signed an agreement for the funding at the Mexican Consulate in Atlanta on Dec. 19, 2019.
“We at Brenau are so grateful to the Government of Mexico, who is providing this scholarship through the local consulate,” Skleder said. “For more than 141 years, we have been committed to providing access and funding such as this, which will help ensure that students born in Mexico or of Mexican parents can obtain a world-class education at Brenau. We know education changes lives and the trajectories of families, and we are proud to have received this important funding.”
In addition to the funding, support for Mexican students is provided through a Hispanic peer mentoring program and guidance from multilingual staff in the university’s admissions, financial aid and student services offices.
The scholarship is apt for the university based in Gainesville, Georgia, which is home to one of the largest Hispanic populations in the state, one that is growing in economic and cultural importance. According to the Pew Research Center, the Hispanic population in Hall County, Georgia, increased by almost 500% between 1990 and 2000 and another 93% from 2000 to 2014. Today, the percentage of Hispanic residents in Hall County is estimated to be 27% and growing. It is estimated that 63% of Hispanic residents in Hall County are of Mexican origin.
The goal of the scholarship is not only to offer aid to students of Mexican origin, but to increase retention and graduation among these students. For more information about the Institute for Mexicans Abroad, go to www.gob.mx/ime.
