FORD ANNOUNCES THE ENTRY EXTENSION OF THE 2009 HBCU BUSINESS CLASSIC $100,000 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

MEDIA ADVISORY
March 5, 2009

CONTACT:
Charell Charleston, (212) 219 -7106
ccharleston@uwgny.com

Kaitlyn Bergfeld, (212) 219-7268
kbergfeld@uwgny.com

FORD ANNOUNCES THE ENTRY EXTENSION OF THE 2009 HBCU BUSINESS CLASSIC $100,000 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Business Plan Submissions Will Be Accepted Until March 11

WHAT: Continuing its long-standing tradition of promoting education and the entrepreneurial spirit, Ford announced today the extension of the its 2009 HBCU Business Classic. The annual business plan competition is open to students who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities and offers $100,000 in scholarship prizes. The new deadline for student submissions is Wednesday, March 11, 2009.

To enter the competition, students, individuals or teams of two to five, along with a faculty advisor, must submit a 10-page business plan via the Ford HBCU Business Classic Website at www.fordhbcu.com. The plans must include several key elements, including type of business; product or service; pricing considerations; target market and competition and general operations.

On April 17, 2009, five finalists will be flown to Atlanta to present their plans to the Ford team and celebrity judges. The team who wins the Grand Prize will receive $35,000 in personal scholarship funds and $15,000 for their HBCU, courtesy of Ford. The first runner-up team will receive $20,000 in scholarship funds and $10,000 for their school; the second-place team will receive $15,000 in scholarship funds and $5,000 for their school.

WHO: Undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled full or part time at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) may apply. Students can visit www.fordhbcu.com to submit their plans or for additional contest information.

WHEN: Ford 2009 HBCU Business Classic Submission Deadline
March 11, 2009
www.fordhbcu.com

Commitment to Education
For more than 40 years, Ford Motor Company has been a major supporter of the hopes and dreams of HBCU students. In the last six years alone, Ford has donated over $10 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

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