FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Central New Mexico University awards nearly $55,000 in scholarships to Native American students.

August 30, 2008, Phoenix, AZ (PR.com) — On August 28, Central New Mexico University held a special ceremony to award approximately $55,000 in scholarships to Native American students. The awards took place at the main CNM campus in Albuquerque.

Altogether, 35 Native American students received support ranging from $700 to $2100. These students have shown a deep commitment to higher education for themselves and are expected to graduate from CNM in the next 1 or 2 years.

It took the CNM Foundation just 4 months to raise $38,000 in funding. Lisa McCulloch, Development Director for the CNM Foundation, credited their success to the foundation Board who actively assisted the fundraising effort.

CNM was also challenged in their efforts when the American Indian Education Foundation (AIEF) raised the stakes by offering a 50% matching grant. AIEF is a program of National Relief Charities. Their $17,000 matching grant came through AIEF’s Challenge Grant service.

With the largest body of Native American students in New Mexico, McCulloch said, “It’s an honor to support these students and figure out what tools can help us provide the financial assistance needed for them to graduate with their degree or certification. The AIEF grants and other emergency assistance programs help us do that.

For AIEF, it’s rewarding to see Native American students succeed, at a time when high school dropout rates on the reservations range from 30% to 70%. Lyn Tysdal, Program Manager for AIEF, says “Lisa McCulloch and CNM are committed to higher ed for these students, and we applaud their support and fundraising efforts.”

For more information about how CNM and AIEF support Native American students, visit www.cnm.edu and www.aiefprograms.org. For more about National Relief Charities, see www.nativepartnership.org.

National Relief Charities is a nonprofit dedicated to quality of life for American Indians living on remote, poverty-stricken reservations. NRC has been serving Native Americans for 20 years and is supported by a strong network of reservation partners. NRC works on over 75 reservations year-round. For more information, see http://www.nativepartnership.org.

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