The Mexican government has renewed a grant agreement for Mexican American students to pursue higher education at Brenau University.
Brenau hosted Consulate General Francisco Javier Díaz de León and Karina Regalo from the Mexican Consulate for a signing ceremony formalizing the grant agreement Friday, July 21, on the historic Gainesville campus.
The $5,000 grant is funded via the Institute for Mexicans Abroad scholarship program, or IME Becas, with “becas” meaning “scholarship” in Spanish.
“Over the past five years, we have met some of the young people who, thanks to this support, are able to pursue their dreams,” Díaz de León said. “In many of these cases, when these young students come here to Brenau, they are the first ones ever in their family to be able to go to college. We see the pride in them, we see their pride in their parents, and it is very powerful.”
Brenau supports this global initiative through the university’s Miller Institute for Global Education by matching the funds to create the scholarships for this year’s five recipients.
“The IME Becas grant benefits students of Mexican origin, especially first-generation students,” Brenau Senior Admission Counselor Maria Iniguez said. “The IME Becas-funded scholarships help reduce the cost of tuition, allowing students to focus on obtaining a university degree.”
Iniguez was involved in obtaining the grant partnership, and she said the grant money makes a difference.
“It’s a great impact to get the money from IME Becas, which can be used for anything, from books to tuition,” she said.
Brenau is one of five colleges and universities in the state to receive IME Becas grants in 2023. It is Brenau’s fifth consecutive year earning the grant.
Díaz de León said the Mexican government specifically sought partnerships in the Gainesville area due to the large Mexican community.
“We were wanting and looking for a partner in the area who we could work together with to support higher education access,” he said. “From the start, when we knocked on the door and started having contact with the wonderful people here at Brenau, the doors opened. I think we have been able – with Brenau and other organizations in Georgia – to help people.”
The Miller Institute, which supports this ongoing scholarship, was established in February 2022 through the financial support of Pete and Cathy Miller to advance the university’s globalization efforts. The institute aims to develop Brenau students who are equipped to meet the changing needs of our community and the world.
