Union Bank of California Presents Scholarships to First UCR Palm Desert campus Students

Union Bank of California presented a $7,000 scholarship check to UC Riverside’s Palm Desert campus inaugural class Monday afternoon, Sept. 26.

The scholarships have been designated to benefit students in each of the academic programs offered by UCR Palm Desert, the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts (MFA).

“We at Union Bank are extremely pleased to continue our partnership with UC Riverside in creating educational opportunities that will benefit our workforce as we expand our economy.” said Paul Magana, senior vice president and regional manager for Union Bank of California. “We are investing in the future of the Inland Empire and as business owners we must accept the responsibility in creating new jobs and personal growth opportunities.”

Magana presented the check to Ken Walters, executive director of UCR Palm Desert and Professor Eric Barr, of the Department of Theatre.

“Union Bank’s commitment to the educational community is outstanding and we are grateful that students in each of our programs will be able to take advantage of their generosity,” Walters said. “We are excited to partner with Union Bank to further education and provide financial access to our graduate students.”

The presentation was part of the UCR Palm Desert campus Orientation Week.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.