Nissan Donates $59,825 to the American Indian College Fund; Donation Supports Nissan Scholarship Program and Flame of Hope Annual Gala.

NEW YORK -- Nissan North America's recent donation to the American Indian College Fund (AICF) supports the Nissan/Tribal College Transfer Scholarship Program and the AICF's Annual Flame of Hope Gala taking place on November 11 in New York City.

The Nissan/Tribal College Transfer Program provides annual scholarships of $2,000 to Native American students transferring from a tribal college or university to a four-year institution. The annual stipend continues for two more years as the student successfully earns a bachelor's degree from the four-year college or university. To date, the Nissan/Tribal College Scholarships has supported 26 students with $98,285 in funding to transfer to 10 schools to pursue their bachelor's degree.

"Nissan is proud of its long-standing partnership with the American Indian College Fund and is pleased to support the educational goals of many deserving students through this scholarship program," said Jack Collins, vice president, product planning, Nissan North America, and Nissan's highest ranking Native American executive. "Nissan's commitment to education and diversity is underscored through this partnership."

The scholarship program was created in 2003 in observance of Nissan's 11 year partnership with the AICF. Since 1993, Nissan has donated over $300,000.

"Eleven years of support from Nissan qualifies them as one of our longest and most committed supporters, and this unparalleled effort has been critical to our students," said Richard B. Williams, president and CEO of the Fund. "We are especially pleased that Nissan recognizes the importance of supporting students to obtain their bachelor's degree. Without Nissan's support, many of these students would not be able to reach their educational goals."

The new and ongoing Nissan scholars selected for the 2004-2005 academic year are:

--Ann Belisle will attend Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College, Liberal Arts (Sophomore).

--Michelle Lowe will attend Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa College, Business Administration (Sophomore).

--Jonathan Whitefoot will attend Chief Dull Knife College, Business (Sophomore).

--Janelle Michelle will attend Salish Kootenai College, Information Technology (Sophomore).

--Mike Lasley will attend Nebraska Indian Community College, Information Technology (Sophomore).

--Frederick Tapaha will attend Dine College, Environmental Science (Sophomore).

--Barbara Abrams will attend Haskell Indian Nations University, Business (Junior).

--Jeffrey Barwick will attend Menominee, Human Services (Junior).

--Lisa Drum will attend Nebraska Indian Community College, General Science (Junior).

--Brian DuMontier will attend University of Montana, Missoula, Secondary Education (Junior).

--Rae Flansburg will attend Turtle Mountain Community College, Elementary Education (Junior).

--Eileen Henderson will attend University of Montana, Missoula, General Studies (Junior).

--Rachel Karrer will attend Northwest Indian College, Business Administration (Sophomore).

--Tanya Mendoza will attend United Tribes Technical College, Early Childhood Education (Junior).

--Jona Parisian, will attend Minot State University, North Dakota, Social Work (Junior).

--Craig Pease will attend Montana State University, Billings, Elementary Education (Junior).

--Rory Shaw will attend University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, Computer Science (Junior).

--Nancy Strickland will attend Institute of American Indian Arts, Museum Studies (Junior).

--Bambi Tuson Pease will attend Montana State University, Billings, Human Services (Junior).

--Wilburn Yazzie will attend New Mexico Tech University, Environmental Science (Junior).

About Nissan North America, Inc.

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.infiniti.com.

About American Indian College Fund

Established in 1989, the American Indian College Fund (www.collegefund.org) has spent more than a decade helping increase educational opportunities for Native students. With its credo "educating the mind and spirit," it distributes scholarships and support to tribal colleges across the country. This aid supports more than 6,000 scholarships each year. The Fund also supports endowments, developmental needs and public awareness, as well as college programs in Native cultural preservation and teacher training.