SAN ANTONIO, TX – To address the rising costs of college tuition, the SBC Foundation – the philanthropic arm of SBC Communications Inc. – has granted $5.1 million in scholarships to help more than 1,800 students prepare for the coming school year. Each year for the past 11 years, the annual SBC Foundation Scholarship Program has recognized the academic excellence of children of SBC employees and retirees.

Since 1993, the SBC Foundation has invested a total of $31.8 million in student scholarships, providing financial assistance to more than 3,500 students. In 2003, 630 students will receive first-time scholarships, while 1,201 students will renew their scholarships.

“The SBC Scholarship Program makes a significant difference in the lives of hundreds of young people. For that reason, it is an extremely important philanthropic investment,” said William Daley, president, SBC Communications Inc.

Scholarships are awarded to students pursuing undergraduate study at accredited four-year and two-year colleges and universities and military academies in the United States. Students who maintain specified academic guidelines can renew their scholarships annually. The competitive scholarship selection process is based on an individual’s overall merit, including academics, leadership skills and work experience.

“Investing in education initiatives is a top priority for the SBC Foundation, and our scholarship program exemplifies our continuous education grant-making efforts,” said Laura Sanford, president of the SBC Foundation. “The scholarship program benefits SBC employees, retirees, and their families because it helps students afford and attain a college education. That’s very important today given the rising cost of an advanced degree.”

Students attending two-year colleges will each receive a $1,500 scholarship; those attending four-year colleges or universities will each receive a $2,500 scholarship and those attending military academies will receive a one-time honorarium of $2,000 from the SBC Foundation.

The SBC Foundation Scholarship Program helps families offset the increasingly high price of a college education. According to The College Board’s 2002 Trends in College Pricing, annual prices for undergraduate tuition and fees at a four-year public college or university increased 9.6 percent for the 2002-2003 academic year and were estimated to be $4,081. Average private four-year college tuition and fees increased 5.8 percent for the same timeframe and were estimated to be $18,273.
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The SBC Foundation is the charitable giving arm of SBC Communications Inc. The SBC Foundation supports efforts that enrich and strengthen diverse communities nationwide, particularly those with an emphasis on education and technology and those that benefit underserved populations. SBC Foundation-backed programs are designed to increase access to information technologies, broaden technology training and professional skills development, and effectively integrate new technologies to enhance education and economic development. The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Foundation Center has consistently ranked the SBC Foundation among the nation's top five corporate foundations. In 2002, the SBC Foundation launched SBC Excelerator, a multi-million dollar competitive grants program that funds non-profit organizations in their efforts to digitally connect communities.

SBC Communications Inc.. (www.sbc.com) is one of the world’s leading data, voice and Internet services providers. Through its world-class networks, SBC companies provide a full range of voice, data, networking and e-business services, as well as directory advertising and publishing. A Fortune 30 company, America’s leading provider of high-speed DSL Internet Access services, and one of the nation’s leading Internet Service Providers, SBC companies currently serve 57 million access lines nationwide. In addition, SBC companies own 60 percent of America’s second-largest wireless company, Cingular Wireless, which serves 22 million wireless customers. Internationally, SBC companies have telecommunications investments in 27 countries.

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