The William Randolph Hearst Foundations have awarded Bates College a second grant of $100,000 to support scholarships that help make it possible for Maine students to attend Bates.

The New York City-based foundations made an initial $100,000 grant to Bates in 1999 to establish the endowed William Randolph Hearst Scholarship Fund. Since then, four young people from Maine have attended Bates with the fund's support, and the first two Hearst Scholars are pursuing graduate studies.

As of fall 2003, 202 students currently enrolled at Bates were from Maine, about 12 percent of the college's 1,746 students.

"Scholarship support is a priority for Bates, and the need for additional funds for Maine students is particularly critical," said Bates President Elaine Tuttle Hansen. "This grant will help us educate talented young people from Maine who would not be able to attend Bates otherwise."

"As Maine continues to have one of the highest percentages of students who complete high school and one of the lowest rates for college completion," Hansen added, "it's imperative that Bates and Maine's other institutions of higher education facilitate the educational attainment of Maine people."