- are African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American or Hispanic American
- are a citizen, national or legal permanent resident of the United States
- have attained a cumulative high school GPA of 3.3 on an unweighted 4.0 scale or have earned a GED
- will enroll for the first time at a U.S. located, accredited college or university in the fall of 2011 as a full-time, degree-seeking, first-year student (with the exception of students pursuing a high school diploma while concurrently enrolled). First-time college enrollees can also be GED recipients
- have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular or other activities
- meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria
- have completed and submitted all three required forms: the student app, an eval of the student's academic record, and an eval of the student's community service and leadership activities by the DEADLINE which is JANUARY 10, 2011
**STUDENTS are strongly encouraged by the Gates Foundation to have all parts of their applications completed online at www.gmsp.org**