STEM UT Austin students granted full-ride scholarships

Santander Consumer gifted a $25,000 sponsorship to the Longhorn racing team, as well as three scholarships for students in engineering at UT Austin.

AUSTIN, Texas - Santander Consumer gifted a $25,000 sponsorship to the Longhorn racing team, as well as three scholarships for students in engineering at UT Austin.

"Santander has made a very generous gift of three scholarships for students in engineering, as well as a $25,000 sponsorship for our Longhorn racing team," said Roger Bonnecaze, the Dean of Cockrell School of Engineering at UT Austin.

A meet and greet with F1 driver Charles Leclerc, and the presentation of half of a million dollars in scholarships and grants to UT Austin, UT Dallas and Driven To Care, took place Wednesday.

"It's really great for the students because the scholarships the students are going to receive will cover completely their tuition and educational expenses, every year for four years," said Bonnecaze.

The dean says the recipients for UT Austin have not yet been selected for the scholarships and the applications will open soon.

"It’s really going to have a big impact on those students, and of course for supporting the Longhorn racing team, that really effects hundreds of students that participate in that," said Bonnecaze.

The UT Austin racing team will use the $25,000 for parts, according to the dean.

"It's going to be great. We are in a very evolving time in the auto industry and industries in general, and so we need these engineering students to help us surpass all the things we have got to do," said Bruce Jackson, CEO of Santander Consumer.

The UT Austin racing team will use the $25,000 for parts, according to the dean.

"First and foremost, they basically are building a car from practically scratch every year and that takes parts and machining, and the money will go to predominantly that," said Bonnecaze.

The racing team parked their race car outside the event next to the Ferrari, as a visual representation of what the funds from the grant will support.

"We are just happy to be a part of the community and do all the things that we get to do. We are fortunate that Ferrari jumped at the chance to help us support, Heritage Boot jumped at the chance to let us host it here, and so we are just very fortunate to get to be part of it," said Jackson.