Mexican Consulate and the AWC Foundation Join Efforts with the IME-Becas Scholarship Program
November 21, 2016A strong collaboration between the Arizona Western College Foundation and the Consulate of Mexico in Yuma, Arizona was established on October 18, 2006 during a ceremony when a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed with an objective of increasing the educational level of Mexicans or Mexican origin living in the United States through the program “IME-Becas” This is a program of the Institute of Mexicans Abroad that seeks to expand educational opportunities for low-income Mexicans and Mexican origin students who are currently enrolled in a College Degree.
For the execution of this program, the Government of Mexico provides funds to support organizations and educational institutions to complement the resources and that have education programs for Mexicans interested in continuing their studies. The Mexican government established the IME-Becas Program in 2005. Since then, more than 44,000 students have benefited from the program nationwide. This Fellowship program seeks to facilitate academic and professional development of Mexicans in the United States, in order to be inserted and contribute better in the society where they live, and to link their knowledge to the development of their places of origin in Mexico. The total resources to grant this year to benefit and contribute the academic development of Mexican migrants and expand opportunities to continue successfully their education and certification of job skills will be of $3,500 USD for the Arizona Western College students.
Renee Smith, AWC Director of Institutional Advancement, said “This partnership is a giant step forward in our global efforts to raise funds and award scholarships at Arizona Western College. We recognize the significance of this endeavor and the lives that will be impacted by this opportunity.” This has been possible thanks to the collaboration of various leaders and community organizations that have contributed additional funds, including the Lawyer Sebastián Sánchez, who collaborates with the Consulate in the Legal Program (PALE); Randy Nelson; Linda Elliott-Nelson; Nelson Family Charitable Fund; members of the Advisory Council of the Institute of Mexicana Abroad; the City of San Luis; El Diablito Arizona State University Alumni Chapter and the Foundation of Arizona Western College. The combination of matched funds for a total of $10,000 USD to award 20 scholarships for the spring 2017 semester.