Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, has announced a $5 million gift to expand access to need-based financial aid for international students.

The gift from alumni couple J. Blair Frank (’89) and Tena Fishman Frank (’89) will endow the Frank Global Scholarship Awards to financially support international students who participate in the college’s Davis United World College Scholars program. Davis scholars receive a portion of their financial aid from the program and the balance from the college’s scholarship funds. In the 2021-22 academic year, Bates enrolled 30 Davis scholars from 24 countries. Bates is among the 99 U.S. colleges and universities that have partnered with the Davis program, which annually helps provide college access to 3,800 students from 165 nations.

“[The Davis program is] an effective and time-tested way to expand access to a Bates education for talented and diverse international students,” said Bates vice president for college advancement Sarah Pearson. “Through [the Franks’] support, a Bates education will be possible for a greater number of students from around the world, strengthening the educational experience of all Bates students.”

“Access to financial aid for the non-U.S. applicants is challenging in higher education, and the number of highly capable students whose needs go unmet every year is large,” said J. Blair Frank, an equity portfolio manager at Capital Group. “It is an honor for us to provide Bates with additional support for this program, and we are delighted to see Bates further its already impressive commitment to creating an economically diversified global student body.”

(Photo credit: Josh-Kuckens/Bates College/Wikimedia)