Boeing and Microsoft Pledge $25 Million Each to Scholarship Program

Posted 06/07/2011 at 6:57am | by Paul Lilly

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Apple's upcoming Mac OS X Lion will cost $29 as a download-only from the Mac App Store. Ubuntu doesn't a cost a dime to download, though you can throw a few bucks at Canonical if you prefer to have them mail you a pack of CDs. Windows 7 runs anywhere from $94 to $275 on Newegg, depending on which version you buy. If you're a Windows users, that might seem like a raw deal, but if it comes as any consolation, the multi-billion dollar corporation based out of Redmond writes some pretty big checks to make the world a better place.

Case in point: The Boeing Company and Microsoft, Washington's two largest private employers, each pledged $25 million over the next five years to the new public-private Washington Opportunity Scholarship program and endowment signed into law yesterday by Gov. Christine Gregoire. With the state matching contributions under the new program, Washington will raise $100 million for scholarships for low- and middle-income students seeking their bachelor's degrees.

"These new contributions help forge a partnership between the public and private sectors to put higher education on a stronger financial footing and enable more students to go to college," said Microsoft general counsel and senior vice president Brad Smith, who chaired a Higher Education Funding Task Force appointed by Gov. Gregoire last year. "Given tougher state budget climates here and across the country, we need new and creative steps to ensure that our colleges remain open to talented students from all economic backgrounds. This new initiative gives our state and our students a new opportunity to develop the skills that a globally competitive economy will require."

At least half of the money will go towards immediate scholarships initially, and after $20 million is raised for that account, donors will have the option of specifying whether the money will go to immediate scholarships or the long-term scholarship endowment, Microsoft said.