Congressman Fattah Delivers Keynote Address at His Annual Conference on Higher Education.

PHILADELPHIA -- After Guaranteeing the 700 Students in Attendance Full Scholarships to Attend Graduate School, Congressman Fattah Challenges Them to Prepare to Become Leaders

U.S. Congressman Chaka Fattah will serve as the keynote speaker during Sunday's breakfast session of his annual Conference on Higher Education. Fattah, who is filling in for the scheduled speaker, William H. Gray III, will deliver remarks around the biblical theme, "We can rebuild the walls of the city if we have a need to work" (Nehemiah 4:6).

On Saturday, Congressman Fattah surprised the conference attendees with an announcement that they will all receive full scholarships upon their acceptance for graduate school at any one of 17 participating Pennsylvania colleges and universities. The participating institutions that have guaranteed the scholarships for qualified students include, Temple University, the University of the Sciences of Philadelphia (USP) and Drexel University, as well as Bloomsburg State University, California State University, Cheyney State University, Clarion State University, East Stroudsburg State University, Edinboro State University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown State University, Lock Haven State University, Mansfield State University, Millersville State University, Shippensburg State University, Slippery Rock State University and West Chester State University.

"This $25 million scholarship announcement will positively impact the life chances of each and every one of you here today," Congressman Fattah said in addressing the Conference. "Your successful completion of graduate school will transform our city and country."

The 700 students attending the Conference are predominantly African American and Latino currently enrolled in undergraduate programs at colleges and universities throughout Pennsylvania and other neighboring states. Over the weekend, they have attended skill building workshops and had inspirational speakers from education leaders and advocates of national stature including former Congressman and President of the UNCF William H. Gray III and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and Mayor of San Antonio, Henry Cisneros.

Founded 20 years ago by then State Representative Chaka Fattah as the Graduate Opportunities Conference, the Fattah Conference on Higher Education has as its objective to increase the enrollment of under-represented students in undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. This regional informational and scholarship conference has helped to fund and inspire more than 10,000 under-represented students to achieve a post-secondary and graduate education. Sallie Mae is the principal sponsor of the Conference and has established a $2 million endowment fund that will enable the program to be offered to students in perpetuity.