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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Phyllis Mundy |
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Mundy says two scholarship programs available to local students
HARRISBURG, Oct. 2 – State Rep. Phyllis Mundy, D-Luzerne, said today that two scholarship programs run by the Horatio Alger Association are available to local high school students who want to attend college.
The Franklin Scholarship Program and the Pennsylvania Scholarship Program each have a designated fund to distribute to students who have risen above adversity in their lives, maintained good grades, and are active in their community and in extracurricular activities.
"The Horatio Alger programs are not managed or funded by the state," Mundy said. "But it is important for students planning to go to college to consider every scholarship program they qualify for, especially in today’s uncertain economy."
Mundy said the Franklin Scholarship is awarded to 25 students annually and is worth $10,000. The program is funded through The Pew Charitable Trusts, and is designed to heighten student understanding of the contributions of Benjamin Franklin and Horatio Alger Jr.
The Pennsylvania Scholarship Program offers 50 scholarships each worth $5,000 and is funded by Joseph and Jeanette Neubauer of the Neubauer Family Foundation.
In order to be eligible for the Pennsylvania Scholarship, a student must:
- Be enrolled as a full-time high school senior in Pennsylvania, progressing normally toward graduation, and planning to enter college no later than the fall following graduation;
- Have a strong commitment to pursue a bachelor’s degree at an accredited institution (students may start their studies at a two-year institution and then transfer to a four-year college);
- Have critical financial need -- generally $50,000 or less adjusted gross income per family preferred (if higher, an explanation must be provided);
- Be involved in co-curricular and community activities;
- Demonstrate academic achievement (minimum grade point average of 2.0); and
- Be a resident of Pennsylvania and a citizen of the United States.
To be eligible for the Franklin Scholarship, a student must meet all the criteria of the Pennsylvania Scholarship plus the student must produce two essays with the application about Benjamin Franklin. Students applying for the Franklin Scholarship automatically will be considered for the Pennsylvania Scholarship.
For more information and to apply for the scholarship programs, Mundy said students should visit the organization’s Web site at www.horatioalger.org/scholarships.
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