While today’s automakers are under pressure to build reliable vehicles and to turn a profit, Buick, which is a part of the General Motors (GM) family, has managed to do both.  Although a number of automakers give lip service on how they are striving for diversity and how they are giving back to the community, Buick is one of the few automotive brands living up to the hype. This may be why Buick is one of the fastest growing brands with African-Americans.

Recently, I sat down with Vivian Pickard, the Director of Corporate Relations and President of the GM foundation, and one of the recent recipients of Buick’s Achievers Scholarship program.  From the interview, it was quite obvious to literally see how the automaker is impacting the next-generation. Without the assistance of GM’s scholarship, many of the recipients would have to defer their dream of going to college. Fortunately, GM forward-thinking executives realize that they must make an investment in the community, giving students a hand-up so that they can pursue their dream without being saddled with mounds of debt for years (or in many undocumented cases decades) to come.

In addition to maintaining good grades, special consideration is given to those who are the first in their family to seek higher education, females, minorities, military veterans and those going into the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Just think: what would have happened if the government wouldn’t have given GM aid during the auto bailout a few years ago? We would probably have a number of well-deserved students who wouldn’t be able to pursue their education or for that matter their dream.To find out more about the Buick Achievers Scholarship program and how you are someone you know can possibly qualify for tuition assistance, click here.

Jeff Fortson is an auto analyst and editor of a car-buying website for women and minorities. To learn more about his popular car-buying workshop and/or to price a new-vehicle, drive on over to www.JeffCars.com. Follow him https://twitter.com/#!/JeffCars/.