Nissan Donates $150,000 to Universal Technical Institute Foundation

PHOENIX, July 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Scholarships and internships are a hot commodity this time of year as high school graduates look for financial assistance for post-secondary education and seek to gain hands-on experience in their career pursuits. Students attending Universal Technical Institute (UTI) have the opportunity to obtain both. The UTI Foundation today announced a renewal of a $150,000 donation from Nissan North America, the organizations' second consecutive donation for scholarships and internships.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080506/NISSANWORDMARKLOGO )

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080506/NISSANWORDMARKLOGO )

Thirty students will each be awarded a $5,000 scholarship to support their work toward a career as a Nissan or Infiniti technician. Each student will attend UTI's nine-week Nissan Automotive Technical Training (NATT) program. The scholarship also includes a short-term internship at a Nissan or Infiniti dealership.

"Nissan is very excited about the success of the scholarship program," said Warren DeBardelaben, director, service support & quality, Nissan North America. "The funding allows students to participate in UTI's exclusive NATT program and develop the skills to become a qualified Nissan or Infiniti technician."

"In today's marketplace it's very important to have hands-on experience," said Veronica Meury, vice president and executive director of UTI Foundation. "The NATT program helps deserving UTI students achieve their dream of a career as an automotive technician at a Nissan/Infiniti dealership after graduation."

Nissan and Infiniti dealers also benefit from UTI's NATT program and the graduates the program produces. "The NATT program provides our dealership with technician specialists who are experts with the Nissan and Infiniti vehicles," said Stefan Miller, service manager for Busam Nissan in Cincinnati, Ohio. "From day one this specialized repair training gives new technicians a jump start helping customers with the service they expect and deserve."

The NATT Scholarship Program is available at UTI's NASCAR Tech, Houston, Orlando and Sacramento campuses. Students who fit the criteria, complete the application and obtain the endorsement of an employer, guidance counselor or instructor are encouraged to apply.

UTI is a provider of technical education for individuals pursuing careers as professional automotive, collision repair, diesel, marine or motorcycle technicians. Additional application information is available on the UTI Foundation website at www.utifoundation.net.

About UTI Foundation:

The UTI Foundation, a 501(c)(3) Arizona non-profit, is the umbrella organization for all Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) not-for-profit initiatives and is dedicated to raising funds to further its mission and strategic goals.  The UTI Foundation supports technical education for the automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, marine and NASCAR industries through scholarships, grants, career development and other special programs.  For more information, visit www.utifoundation.net.

About Nissan North America, Inc.

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing.  Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling.  More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.nissanusa.com and www.infinitiusa.com.

SOURCE Nissan North America, Inc.