The grant provides an endowment of $475,000, which will perpetually provide assistance to students interested in pursuing a career in the hospitality industry. The foundation also will provide $75,000 in expendable funds to immediately launch the program.

"This scholarship money will enable some remarkable students to study here who might not otherwise have the opportunity," said Ronald F. Cichy, school director.

Most of the funds will support traditional tuition needs for college students. Scholarship recipients will be selected based on financial need, academic interest in hospitality business and leadership potential.

Preference will be given to students who attend Marriott Hospitality Public Charter High School in Washington, D.C., the first four-year high school in the nation devoted to preparing students for careers in both the restaurant and hotel industries. MSU's School of Hospitality Business will work with guidance staff at Marriott Hospitality High to identify qualified candidates to be admitted to MSU to study hospitality business.

In addition to college tuition assistance, the scholarship program supports students academically by inviting them to participate in the Broad Business Student Camp in the summer between their junior and senior year in high school. Students are recruited from Marriott Hospitality High and other urban areas such as Detroit, Flint and Chicago.

Broad Camp is a six-day, residential learning program on MSU's campus in which students attend workshops conducted by top faculty and professional representatives of Fortune 500 companies with a hospitality emphasis.  Programming focuses on time management, study-skills development and building interpersonal, leadership and communication skills.

"The Marriott Foundation endowment will have a significant impact on improving career opportunities for students who have aspirations for entering the country's fastest growing industry," said Ernest S. Betts, assistant dean for Multicultural Business Programs in The Eli Broad College of Business. "In partnership with Multicultural Business Programs at Michigan State University, this commitment will help to assure the development of a highly trained diverse work force, which is paramount to the industry."

The scholarships will be awarded beginning in the 2001-02 academic year.  MSU's School of Hospitality Business, which marks its 75th year in 2002, is the nation's leading business-based curriculum in the hospitality education.