AT & T & NAFEO Announce Inaugural HBCU/PBI Inclusion Institutions! Inclusion Scholars Program AT & T and NAFEO have joined forces to launch the Inclusion Scholars Program (ISP), a scholarship initiative that will award three NAFEO "Inclusion Institutions" a $36,000 grant to offer one incoming freshman a $9,000 award toward his or her tuition and fees for each of four consecutive years. >From a diverse pool of institutional applicants, three HBCUs were selected as the inaugural class of "Inclusion Institutions" based on their responses to an accessibility and sustainability survey: * Bethune-Cookman College (Daytona, FL) * Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD) * Tennessee State University (Nashville, TN) Congratulations AT & T & NAFEO Inclusion Institutions Inaugural Class! NAFEO Launches AT&T Funded Pilot Program to Help Students with Disabilities Attend Historically Black Colleges & Universities Washington, D.C--- With over 1.2 million college students with disabilities enrolled in our nation's colleges and universities, the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) has launched a program, funded by a contribution from AT&T* that will provide scholarships to students with disabilities attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The Inclusion Scholars Program (ISP) is a scholarship initiative designed to do three things: (1) increase the recruitment, enrollment, and degree completion of students with disabilities at HBCUs and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) (2) support efforts by HBCUs and PBIs to increase graduation rates of traditionally underserved students; and (3) encourage and support HBCUs and PBIs to assess their campus readiness to receive, retain and graduate students with disabilities, and to assist them to make adjustments where necessary. The program seeks to facilitate students with disabilities receiving a comprehensive four-year liberal arts undergraduate education as well as core elements of workforce preparation. >From a diverse pool of institutional applicants, four HBCUs were selected as the inaugural class of "Inclusion Institutions" based on their responses to an accessibility and sustainability survey: Bethune-Cookman College (Daytona, FL), Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD), Tennessee State University (Nashville, TN) and Huston Tillotson University (Austin, TX). The Inclusion Institutions will receive a $36,000 grant to offer one incoming freshman a $9,000 award toward his or her tuition and fees for each of four years. "We are excited about this new inclusion initiative and look to the day when HBCUs and PBIs meet the criteria to become and maintain status as a NAFEO Inclusion Institution. I envision our institutions competing to become "Inclusion Institutions" in a manner similar to the way employers strive to attain the Baldrige National Quality Award, said Lezli Baskerville, President and CEO of NAFEO. "Founded on principles of excellence, access and inclusion, HBCUs and PBIs must lead the higher education community in taking affirmative steps to recruit and enroll diverse students, including those protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act. NAFEO is most grateful to AT&T for supporting our launching of this important initiative." Staff at Inclusion Institutions and other HBCUs and PBIs interested in becoming Inclusion Institutions will be offered on-campus training highlighting disability awareness and social integration of students with disabilities. The training will be conducted by the Solutions Marketing Group and Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities. Students interested in participating in the Inclusion Scholars Program must apply to and be accepted for admission in the fall 2011 class of one of the Inclusion Institutions and apply directly to NAFEO to be designated an Inclusion Scholar. "The ISP program will provide students with disabilities with valuable training and resources, particularly in the area of career preparation. Our goal in supporting this initiative is for the students receiving these scholarships to have rewarding experiences at an HBCU and graduate well-equipped to thrive in the workforce and compete in the global economy." said Laura Sanford, Assistant Vice President Corporate Contributions, AT&T. ISP Applications will be available DATE and will be posted on the NAFEO website: www.nafeo.org<http://www.nafeo.org/>. For further information on the Inclusion Scholars Program, please contact Ms. Tamisha Marsh at 202-552-3300 or tmarsh@nafeo.org<mailto:tmarsh@nafeo.org> . *AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. About NAFEO The National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher education (NAFEO) is the nation's only national membership association of the 2- and 4-year public and private, graduate and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). NAFEO was founded in 1969 to provide an international voice for the nation's HBCUs and PBIs; to place and maintain the issue of equal opportunity in higher education on the national agenda; to advocate policies, programs and practices designed to preserve and enhance HBCUs and PBIs; and to increase the active participation of blacks at every level in the formulation and implementation of policies and programs in American higher education. About AT&T AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. 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All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.