Sovereign Bank and Santander Universities Announce Agreement with Bentley University to Support International Study

Online, May 3, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Sovereign Bank, a part of Banco Santander, announced today it has signed a three-year agreement with Bentley University that will establish the Santander Universities Study Abroad Scholarship Fund. The Fund will provide annual scholarships for Bentley students to participate in academic and service-oriented study abroad programs. Sovereign Bank will provide financial support through Santander Universities, a major initiative created by Banco Santander to support higher education and advance the bank's goal of expanding knowledge and experience throughout the world.

"We believe that the best investment for the future is in higher education. Today's students are tomorrow's leaders and will be fundamental in shaping the world we live in," said Jorge Morán, President and CEO of Sovereign Bank and Santander U.S. Country Head. "We are very pleased to announce our support of Bentley University to create more opportunities for students to experience the global community and expand their knowledge."

Bentley University president Gloria Cordes Larson stated, "The Santander Universities Study Abroad Scholarships will allow a broader group of Bentley students to study abroad, diversify the destinations where they'll study, and encourage deeper engagement of our students with their host culture. We currently have over 250 Bentley students participating in semester-long programs on five continents (Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America). But some students never apply for these life-changing experiential learning opportunities because it's too great a financial obstacle. This generous scholarship fund is tailored specifically to Bentley students with limited economic means and will offer access to study abroad programs for those who were previously unable to participate in such important international experiences. We are very grateful to Sovereign Bank and Santander Universities for helping to make this opportunity possible for more of our students."

The agreement affirms a partnership under which Bentley joins a network of nearly 20 U.S. colleges and universities that participate in the Santander Universities Global Division, including: Babson College, Bryant University, Boston University, Brown University, Columbia University, Harvard, Long Island University, MIT, Northeastern, NYU, Providence College, SUNY, Tufts University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.

About Santander Universities
Santander Universities Global Division is the foundation of Banco Santander's commitment to social action and enables it to maintain a strong alliance with the academic world. Santander has 941 agreements in 15 countries that include the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, China, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Russia. Through the Universities division, Santander supports the higher education sector in these countries in areas that include teaching and research, international cooperation, knowledge and technology transfer, entrepreneurial initiatives, and student mobility. Over the last 15 years Santander Universities has provided nearly $1 billion to fund more than 3,500 projects and over 17,000 scholarships annually.

About Sovereign/Santander
Banco Santander (SAN.MC, STD.N) is a retail and commercial bank, headquartered in Spain, with a presence in ten main markets: Spain, Portugal, Germany, the UK, Poland, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and the U.S. Founded in 1857, Santander had 1,217 euros in assets at the end of 2010. Santander has 92 million customers, approximately 14,000 branches - more than any other international bank - and over 170,000 employees. For more information on Santander, visit http://www.santander.com.

Sovereign Bank, a subsidiary of Banco Santander, S.A., is a financial institution with principal markets in the northeastern United States. Sovereign has more than 700 branches, over 2,300 ATMs and approximately 8,000 team members. For more information on Sovereign Bank, visit http://www.sovereignbank.com or call 877-SOV-BANK.

BENTLEY UNIVERSITY is one of the nation's leading business schools, dedicated to preparing a new kind of business leader - one with the deep technical skills, broad global perspective, and high ethical standards required to make a difference in an ever-changing world. Our rich, diverse arts and sciences program, combined with an advanced business curriculum, prepares informed professionals who make an impact in their chosen fields. Located on a classic New England campus minutes from Boston, Bentley is a dynamic community of leaders, scholars and creative thinkers. The McCallum Graduate School emphasizes the impact of technology on business practice, in offerings that include MBA and Master of Science programs, PhD programs in accountancy and in business, and customized executive education programs. The university enrolls approximately 4,100 full-time undergraduate, 140 adult part-time undergraduate, 1,430 graduate, and 34 doctoral students. Bentley is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges; AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business; and the European Quality Improvement System, which benchmarks quality in management and business education.