For a twelfth straight year, Simon Youth Foundation, a national nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for at-risk high school students, will award a college scholarship to one student from every community that is home to a Simon property.
Simon Youth Foundation Community Scholarships are awarded through the Simon Youth Scholarships program and in partnership with local Simon properties. The application period is open now through Jan. 11.
Locally, students can pick up a copy of a scholarship application at Simon Guest Services at Walt Whitman Shops. Applications also can be downloaded at the SYF website. www.syf.org/our-initiatives/scholarships/community-application.
Any student who will graduate in the class of 2013 and lives within 50 miles of a Simon property is eligible. The program will award a one-time scholarship of up to $1,400 to students who plan to enroll in an accredited college, university, vocational or technical school.
In addition, 10 regional awards called “Award of Excellence” will be given to top candidates. The regions eligible are Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Indianapolis, Miami, New York, Orange County (CA), Orlando, and Seattle/Tacoma. Students from these areas can win a $2,500 scholarship that is renewable for up to three years.
In 2012, the Simon Youth Scholarships program awarded $1.2 million to 378 students nationwide.
“Our mission is to ignite hope for a brighter future in students, and our Foundation is proud to partner with Walt Whitman Shops to award scholarships that will remove some of the financial obstacles that would otherwise prevent a student from achieving the dream of a college education,” says J. Michael Durnil, the president and CEO of SYF.
The 2013 SYF Community Scholarship recipients will be selected by Scholarship Management Services, a third-party administrator. Students are selected based on a variety of criteria, including financial need, academic performance, leadership skills and participation in school and community activities. Those students who are the first in their family to pursue a post-secondary education will also be given close consideration.
The completed application, along with official school transcripts and parents’ most recently filed tax form, must be sent to Scholarship Management Services by Jan. 11.
