Partners With American Indian Graduate Center to Fund Qualifying Students From Tribal Nations ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ .- Wells Fargo announced today the creation of a $300,000 endowment to support Native American college and graduate students nationwide. The Wells Fargo Scholarship for Native American College Students will be administered by the American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC), the only national non-profit organization dedicated to aiding Indian graduate students in all fields of study. Beginning September 2006, the scholarship will help up to four qualifying students fill unmet financial aid needs each year. "We're making a meaningful gift to support deserving Native American students who will become the future business leaders for industries which are important to tribal communities and to our customers," said Steve Stallings, senior vice president, Director of Wells Fargo's Native American Banking Services, and a member of the Rincon Band of San Luiseno Mission Indians. "Wells Fargo has a long history of supporting communities and programs in our marketplace that contribute to education and economic development." Announcing the scholarship this weekend at the AIGC national conference in Albuquerque's Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Wells Fargo has pledged $300,000 to fund the endowment supporting American Indian upper-level undergraduates (Juniors or Seniors) and graduate students with a 3.0 grade point average or better majoring in the gaming and hospitality industries, business and finance. Information, deadlines, and applications are at http://www.aigc.com/. "Wells Fargo is proud to work with AIGC in supporting Native Americans earning advanced degrees," said Jay Kornmayer, executive vice president of Wells Fargo's Gaming and Native American Banking Services Divisions. "AIGC's ongoing mission to advance self-sufficiency and self-determination within all Indian communities is a natural partner for Wells Fargo's commitment to every community where we live, work, and do business." Wells Fargo delivers capital and financial services to more than 150 Tribal Nations through a team of Native Americans and specialized relationship managers comprising its Native American Banking Services unit. As a leading financial services provider and home mortgage lender to Native Americans and to the tribal gaming industry Wells Fargo has more banking stores on Indian reservations than any other financial institution. Through its targeted programs alone, Wells Fargo has lent more than $1.8 billion to tribes and Native Americans and is one of the primary providers of financial services in Indian Country. A leading lender to the tribal gaming industry, Wells Fargo has dedicated business units serving the Native American community through Wells Fargo Wholesale Banking and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Wells Fargo has over 1800 Native American team members, with five Team Member Resource groups for Native Peoples in Alaska, Arizona, California, New Mexico and South Dakota. About AIGC The American Indian Graduate Center was founded in 1969 to help open doors to graduate education for American Indian and Alaskan Native college graduates. The AIGC has awarded more than 10,000 fellowships to qualified Native American and Alaskan Native students pursuing Master's, Doctorate, and professional degrees in all fields for over thirty years. AIGC has helped develop many tribal and community leaders who are working professionals today. Many are leaders who are responsible for the development of programs that are vital to the well being of Native American and Alaskan Native communities. The AIGC's mission is to help these students make those critical connections with Indian communities, tribal leaders, and Indian organizations to ensure their greater involvement to help rebuild strong, healthy, self-reliant American Indian and Alaskan Native communities. About Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company with $435 billion in assets, providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance to more than 23 million customers from more than 6,000 stores and the internet (wellsfargo.com) across North America and elsewhere internationally. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. is the only bank in the United States to receive the highest possible credit rating, "Aaa," from Moody's Investors Service. DATASOURCE: Wells Fargo & Company CONTACT: Susan Stanley of Wells Fargo, +1-415-947-3994 Web site: http://www.aigc.com/ Web site: http://www.wellsfargo.com/

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