Fifteen DeKalb County high-school seniors received free rides to college from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, officials said today.

The Gates Millennium Scholars program also pays for master’s and doctoral degree work should a student choose to pursue those degrees, DeKalb County School District officials said.

The students are among 90 across Georgia and 1,000 nationally who will have their college education covered through the program. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides minority students with scholarships hoping to boost minority participation in areas where they are underrepresented, including computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health, and science.

According to the district, students are chosen based on their academic achievement, ethnicity and their dedication to their communities.

The seniors awarded scholarships:

•Arabia Mountain High School — Jordan Jeffers

•Chamblee High School — Mati Alemayehu, Marcus Strickland

•Clarkston High School — Alice Mawi, Meh Sod Paw

•Columbia High School — Tamar Harrison

•Cross Keys High School — Adela Lopez, Jeremy Madina

•DeKalb Early College — Yizra Ghebre

•Druid Hills High School — Genesis Fortner

•Lithonia High School — Kamal Hughes

•McNair High School — KaTerra Johnson

•Stephenson High School — Julian Walton

•Tucker High School — Tro Nguyen, Haniel Paulos

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