TRIO Student Garners Scholarship

For Immediate Release

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation News Release

Local Scholar Named 1 of 300 Nationally to Receive $20,000 in Scholarships from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

-Needs-Based Dell Scholars Program Recognizes Local Students Who Are Determined to Succeed-

As part of a scholarship program unique in the type of students it supports and its retention rates that far exceed the national average, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation’s Dell Scholars Program awarded 300 students with $6,000,000 in college scholarship funds, including 1 Poteet High School student, Mary O. Lomas, daughter of Gilbert and Katherine Lomas and a student of the TRIO Upward Bound Program at Palo Alto College in San Antonio.

Most of the Dell Scholars are first-generation college students and are chosen because they participate in an approved college readiness program and maintain at least a 2.4 grade point average on a 4.0 scale while dealing with personal responsibilities at home or in their communities. Dell Scholars will receive $20,000 each to continue their higher education for the next six years. More than just a check, the Dell Scholars Program also provides its students with technology, resources and mentoring to ensure they have the support they need to obtain a college degree. The additional resources have contributed to the program’s retention rate of more than 90 percent, well above the national average of 22 percent for students with the same socioeconomic profile.