Gates Millennium Scholars Program

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program is one of the most generously funded scholarships ever created, backed by $1.6 billion from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It provided a full-ride scholarship covering tuition, fees, books, and living expenses through a bachelor's degree, plus a doctorate for students in STEM, education, or library science. Although the last cohort was selected in 2018, over 20,000 scholars received funding before the program transitioned to the Gates Scholarship. Its funding is 64 times larger than the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation's total awards of $260 million. Many former scholars now hold leadership positions across medicine, law, tech, and government.