APIASF Rings in Lunar New Year with $50,000 Donation from Wells Fargo

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF), the nation's largest non-profit organization devoted to providing college scholarships for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), is ringing in the Lunar New Year with a $50,000 grant from Wells Fargo.  To commemorate the New Year, APIASF and Wells Fargo will be honoring APIASF/Wells Fargo Scholars on Thursday, February 9^th at the Chinese Cultural Center to kick off San Francisco'sLunar New Year festivities, culminating in the largest celebration of Asian culture outside of Asia and San Francisco tradition – the Chinese New Year Parade.

Since 2006, APIASF and Wells Fargo have joined together to support access, persistence, and success for AAPI students and their families through scholarships, financial education, mentorship, college tours, and national events supporting student success. To date, Wells Fargo has generously donated over $6.5 million and funded over 1,300 scholarships. In this past year, 70% of APIASF/Wells Fargo Scholars lived at or below the poverty line and 73% were the first generation in their families to attend college.

"Through our decade-long relationship, Wells Fargo has been a committed supporter of APIASF, our Scholars, families, and the greater AAPI community," said Neil Horikoshi, President and Executive Director of APIASF. "We are honored to have Wells Fargo's continued support to increase opportunities for underserved students nationwide."

"Wells Fargo is delighted to celebrate the Year of the Rooster with the Asian American community. We believe education and our ongoing support for organizations like APIASF are among the many ways in which Wells Fargo invests in the growth of our communities," said Arati Randolph, Wells Fargo senior vice president, corporate communications and APIASF board member. "Wells Fargo is committed to working together with our communities because we value higher education and believe strongly that education is the pathway to a brighter future for many Asian-American families."

For details about APIASF's events and to learn more about our scholarship programs and our work to strengthen communities, visit us at www.apiasf.org. Also, follow APIASF on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About APIASF
Based in Washington, D.C., the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) is the nation's largest non-profit organization devoted to providing college scholarships for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). APIASF works to create opportunities for students to access, complete, and succeed after post-secondary education; thereby developing future leaders who will excel in their career, serve as role models in their communities, and will ultimately contribute to a vibrant America. Since 2003, APIASF has distributed over $110 million in scholarships to deserving AAPI students. APIASF manages three scholarship programs: the APIASF General Scholarship, the APIASF Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander - Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) Scholarship, and the Gates Millennium Scholars/Asian Pacific Islander Americans funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

CONTACT
Leilani Pimentel
lpimentel@apiasf.org 
202.715.0273

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SOURCE Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund