FIRST-OF-ITS KIND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AIMS TO SUPPORT AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND HISPANIC STUDENTS CHALLENGED BY HEPATITIS C Thurgood Marhall Scholarship Fund and Hispanic Scholarship Fund Partner for First Time on New Horizons Scholars Program

The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund (TMSF) and Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) announced today the establishment of the New Horizons Scholars Program to provide college scholarships to Hispanic and African-American students who have hepatitis C or are dependents of a person with the disease. The New Horizons Scholars Program is funded by The Roche Foundation.

For Immediate Release
FIRST-OF-ITS KIND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AIMS TO SUPPORT AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND HISPANIC STUDENTS CHALLENGED BY HEPATITIS C

Thurgood Marhall Scholarship Fund and Hispanic Scholarship Fund Partner for First Time on New Horizons Scholars Program

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 11, 2002) -- The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund (TMSF) and Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) announced today the establishment of the New Horizons Scholars Program to provide college scholarships to Hispanic and African-American students who have hepatitis C or are dependents of a person with the disease. The New Horizons Scholars Program is funded by The Roche Foundation.

These scholarships will help support the educational imperatives of African-American and Hispanic students in this country. According to a recent report by American Council on Education's Office of Minorities in Higher Education, college participation rates for African-American high-school graduates, ages 18-24 was at 39.4 percent in 2000 while the college participation rate for Latinos reached 36.5 percent in 2000.

The New Horizons Scholars Program is a first of its kind partnership that aims to create additional financial resources to cover the costs of higher education for Hispanic and African-American students impacted by hepatitis C," said Heriberto Rios, Programs Manager for the TMSF. This innovative program will allow both organizations to reach more students with scholarship opportunities and thereby, have an even greater impact on the number of young people entering the nations colleges and universities."

The New Horizons Scholars Program will provide 50 scholarships per year to students planning to enroll for the first time in a four-year college during the 2003-2004 or 2004-2005 academic

years. Scholarships will be awarded to students of Hispanic or African-American heritage who are infected or are dependents of someone infected with hepatitis C. For two classes (2003,
2004), 50 students will be eligible for $2,500 per year for four years. Students must maintain the programs academic standard of 3.0 G.P.A. Scholarship winners will be notified in the late spring of 2003. Applications are available through HSFs web site www.hsf.net, by calling 1-866-3HORIZON and through contacting hepatitis-C treating physicians offices.

"The higher education of Hispanics and African Americans is critical to America's future and investment in these students leads to significant measurable returns," said Mario De Anda, HSF director of scholarship programs. "The New Horizons Scholars Program is a strong partnership with the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund to help break the cycle of under-education in our communities and make a difference in the lives of our students."

The Roche Foundation is committed to helping create educational opportunities for students impacted by hepatitis C," said Vivian Beetle, Executive Director of The Roche Foundation, This program is part of The Roche Foundations ongoing efforts to help lessen the long term impact of hepatitis C on patients and their families."

About Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a life-threatening viral infection of the liver transmitted primarily through infected blood and blood products. Currently, there are approximately 2.7 million Americans chronically infected with hepatitis C, making it the most common chronic viral infection in the U.S. Chronic hepatitis C is the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer and the leading cause for liver transplants in this country. In the United States, 3.4 percent of African-Americans are infected with hepatitis C, as compared with 2.1 percent of Hispanics and 1.5 percent of Caucasians.

About the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, Inc., named for the late U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice, is the only national organization of its type that provides merit-based scholarships and programmatic support to students attending the nations historically Black public colleges and universities. The organization also provides capacity building support to its 45 member schools. Since its inception, the fund has awarded more than $14.2 million in scholarships and programmatic support, enabling 4,400 students to attend public historically and traditionally Black colleges and universities. The not-for-profit organization additionally provides internship programs and joins corporate and foundation partners in providing leadership training and support to students preparing for undergraduate and professional schools.

About the Hispanic Scholarship Fund
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is the largest Hispanic scholarship-granting organization in the nation. HSF recognizes and rewards outstanding Hispanic students in higher education throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These students represent every region of the country, hundreds of institutions of higher learning and every segment of the Hispanic community. Founded in 1975, HSF has awarded more than 53,000 scholarships in excess of $89 million.

About The Roche Foundation
The Roche Foundation (formerly known as the Hoffmann-La Roche Foundation) was created in 1947 as an independent charitable entity, solely funded by the company. Today, it continues to complement the corporate contributions program and helps support selected community organizations and initiatives. The Roche Foundation focuses its support on health promotion and education, especially science and math education. The establishment of The Roche Foundation over 50 years ago demonstrated the companys commitment to the importance of good corporate citizenship-a belief that remains today.

For More Information on the New Horizons Scholars Fund Go To:
www.hsf.net
www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org

Media Contacts:
Miguel Salinas, Hispanic Scholarship Fund: (415) 808-2352
Jennifer Jiles, Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund: (770) 840-6339
Vivian Beetle, The Roche Foundation: (973) 562-2055