50 Exceptional Students Awarded 2014 Horatio Alger Louisiana State Scholarships

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams through higher education, today announced a total of 50 students from Louisiana will receive its prestigious 2014 Horatio Alger Louisiana State Scholarship in the amount of $10,500.  Funded by Association Board Member William J. Dore, these scholarships are awarded to young men and women in recognition of their admirable commitment to continuing their education and serving their communities, despite facing significant adversity in their youth.  As a longtime supporter of education and youth scholarship programs, especially in his home state of Louisiana, Mr. Dore has generously funded 925 scholarships in partnership with the Association.

"It gives me great pleasure to be involved in an organization that provides such significant support to individuals who may otherwise not have a chance to pursue a higher education," said William J. Dore, Horatio Alger Association Member.  "These inspiring Scholars have such a strong desire to achieve success, despite having faced tremendous adversity in their young lives.  I am deeply committed to the Horatio Alger Association's mission and it's an honor to help these deserving students achieve their dreams."

Since 1984, Horatio Alger Association has administered one of the nation's largest privately-funded, need-based scholarship programs, awarding more than $100 million in undergraduate, graduate and specialized scholarships to students from across the United States (including all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) and Canada. In 2000, 16 years after the establishment of its national scholarship program, Horatio Alger Members began funding scholarships concentrated in each state to further the Association's mission of offering deserving young people across the nation financial support to pursue their collegiate goals. 

"The Horatio Alger Louisiana State Scholarship was very fundamental in allowing me to become the first college graduate in my family and also to continue my education towards completing my doctoral degree," said 2003 Louisiana State Scholar Marc Stevens, Jr., who now holds a PhD in Public Health. "I am very grateful to the Association and my fellow scholars, who have encouraged me to continue to succeed and persevere in life."           

Collectively, the 2014 Horatio Alger State Scholarship recipients have maintained an average GPA of 3.6 and a mean SAT score of 1,593, while coming from a household with an average annual income of $21,482. Through the scholarship program, each recipient is awarded financial assistance to apply toward the tuition of their selected college or university.

For a complete list of the 2014 Horatio Alger State Scholars, please click here.

For more information about Horatio Alger Association and its 2014 Scholars, please visit https://www.horatioalger.org.

About Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans:
Founded in 1947, Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., fulfills its mission of honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals who have succeeded in spite of adversity and of encouraging young people to pursue their dreams through higher education. Horatio Alger Association supports students through annual undergraduate and graduate need-based scholarships and mentoring programs across the United States and Canada. Since 1984, the Association has awarded more than $100 million in college scholarships to deserving young people.  For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org.

SOURCE Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc.