CONTACT: Jason Foster
SDSU Marketing & Communications
Phone (619) 594-2585 Pager (619) 620-1184
foster@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO, Thursday, April 15, 2004 – San Diego State University’s inaugural SDSU Month Scholarship Challenge will help support at least a dozen students at SDSU, thanks to the contributions of 16 company partners.

In all, more than $30,000 has been pledged to help create new, $2,500 scholarships for some of SDSU’s most deserving students. These awards cover close to a year’s worth of undergraduate resident university fees. The university plans to award the scholarships this fall after eligibility and application requirements are finalized.

“We greatly appreciate our partners’ generous support of the SDSU Month Scholarship Challenge,” said SDSU President Stephen L. Weber. “Their contributions are a wonderful acknowledgement of our outstanding students and their achievements, and an expression of these companies’ leadership in supporting our community.”

Several partners, including Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill, Time Warner Cable, LEGOLAND California and RBC Mortgage, established special offers or promotions with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Scholarship Challenge. Rubio’s Aztec Combo promotion alone, which donated $1 from every Aztec Combo purchased in the region, raised $14,738 for the new scholarship fund.

Partner companies that have made pledges to the inaugural Scholarship Challenge are, in alphabetical order: Abamex, Ltd. Auction Co.; Aztec Business Machines; Cisco Systems, Inc.; Cox Communications; Diebold Card Systems; LEGOLAND California; MetLife; Mission Janitorial; Office Depot; Pae Tec Communications, Inc.; Qwest Communications; RBC Mortgage; Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill; Starbucks; Time Warner Cable; and US Bank.

The SDSU Month Scholarship Challenge was one facet of SDSU Month 2004, a monthlong, communitywide celebration of the ties between SDSU and the San Diego region, and a salute to the accomplishments of the university’s alumni, faculty and students over the years. Private donations to the SDSU Month Scholarship Challenge can still be made. Details are available at www.sdsumonth.com.

SDSU is the oldest and largest institution of higher education in the San Diego region. Founded in 1897, SDSU offers bachelor's degrees in 79 areas, master's degrees in 67 and doctorates in 14. SDSU's nearly 34,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information log on to www.sdsu.edu.

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