Bacardi USA

and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have launched The Gold Standard Scholarship Program that will provide more than $35O,OOO of financial assistance to adult students (aged 21+), from the African-American and Hispanic communities.  The program, which is being conducted in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), is open to eligible candidates through January 2O11.  Scholarships will be awarded to students throughout greater New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, and New Orleans who excel academically and exemplify the values of volunteerism and service.  Applications for the Program can be found at nba.com/goldstandard. Through the Gold Standard Scholarship Program, the TMCF and the HSF will select 24 minority students who are pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees to receive a $1O,OOO scholarship to support his or her educational endeavors.  In addition, four of the 24 students will be selected as national scholarship recipients and will receive an additional $3O,OOO in financial assistance.
NBA Legends Greg Anthony, Rolando Blackman and Felipe Lopez, serving as official ambassadors of the Gold Standard Scholarship Program this year, will help promote the program during the application process and honor the four recipients of the national scholarships.  The 24 recipients of the $1O,OOO scholarships from this year’s Gold Standard Scholarship Program will be announced in March 2O11.  The four national scholarship recipients will be announced as part of a special event in May 2O11.