ATU Continues Partnership With Consulate

The Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock and the Arkansas Tech University Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Wednesday, May 16, that will result in $90,000 in scholarship funding for Arkansas Tech University students of Mexican origin in 2018.

Under the terms of the MOU, the Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock will provide $30,000 and private donors will provide $60,000 through the ATU Foundation. The MOU was signed by Rodolfo Quilantán, counsel of Mexico, and Mike Hutchison, vice president for advancement at Arkansas Tech.

“Arkansas Tech University extends its sincere appreciation to the Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock for its continued partnership in providing scholarship opportunities for our students,” said Dr. Robin E. Bowen, president of Arkansas Tech. “These funds are incredibly important in helping us recruit, retain and graduate a diverse student body equipped with the skills necessary to build a stronger state, nation and world.”

This is the fourth consecutive year in which the Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock and Arkansas Tech have worked together on the IME Becas Fellowship scholarship. The program was created by Mexico in 2005 to contribute to the education and improvement of individuals of Mexican origin living in the United States.

IME Becas Fellowship scholarships are awarded competitively based on academic achievement and financial need. Applicants for the fellowship must be Mexican or of Mexican origin to qualify, and they must not be eligible for any other type of scholarship funds or financial aid.

The number of Hispanic students at Arkansas Tech has increased by 281 percent since 2008. There were 873 Hispanic students enrolled at Tech for the fall 2017 semester. In all, 23.8 percent of Arkansas Tech students are from minority groups.

Photographed (from left): Mike Hutchison, vice president for advancement at Arkansas Tech; Dr. Robin E. Bowen, president of Arkansas Tech; and Rodolfo Quilantán, head of post for the Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock.