Sovereign Bank, Santander Universities announce agreement to support Sophomore International Experience

March 24th, 2011

SMITHFIELD, R.I. — Sovereign Bank, a part of Banco Santander, announced today it has signed a three-year agreement with Bryant University in support of the University's Sophomore International Experience. The program provides second-year students the opportunity to travel abroad and participate in international study. 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.

 "At Bryant University, we strive to contribute significantly to the larger world through the leaders we produce. The Sophomore International Experience is one component of this effort," said Ronald K. Machtley, president of Bryant University. "Since its inception in 2007, this unique international program has helped 928 second-year students go abroad to gain a better understanding of their place and purpose in the global community. We are grateful to Sovereign Bank and Santander Universities for their support of our innovative program."

"We are very pleased to announce our support of Bryant University's initiative to expand students' international knowledge," said Jorge Morán, president and CEO of Sovereign Bank and Santander U.S. country head. "We believe the best investment for the future is in higher education. The Sophomore International Experience program serves an important role in students' futures by providing them the opportunity to learn about other cultures and how businesses operate globally."

The agreement affirms a partnership under which the University joins a network of more than 900 Santander Universities in 13 countries. Bryant joins 17 U.S. colleges and universities that participate in the Santander Universities Global Division, including: Babson College, Bentley University, Boston University, Brown University, Columbia University, Harvard, Long Island University, MIT, Northeastern, Providence College, SUNY, Tufts University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.

About Bryant University

Bryant University today is the culmination of nearly 150 years of continuous growth and innovation. Throughout the University's history, its academic programs have integrated theoretical and applied concepts in ways that empower its students and are highly valued in the marketplace. More than 3,600 undergraduate and graduate students from 27 states and 57 countries are enrolled in the University's College of Business, College of Arts and Sciences, and Graduate School of Business. The University's programs are consistently rated among the nation's best.

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, China, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Singapore, the United Kingdom 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 10 main markets: Spain, Portugal, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and the U.S. Founded in 1857, Santander had 1,217 billion 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.

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.

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Keywords: philanthropy, Santander, Sophomore International Experience, Sovereign Bank, study abroad