AXA Foundation Provides $670,000 in Annual Scholarships in Association with U.S. News & World Report

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report and the AXA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co., announce the offering of the AXA Achievement^sm Scholarship, awarding $670,000 in annual scholarships to students nationwide for the 12^th consecutive year.

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Through AXA Achievement^sm, AXA Equitable awards more than $1.3 million to students each year, making it one of the nation's largest corporate providers of scholarships. Since the program's inception, AXA Equitable has awarded more than $22.8 million to more than 5,100 students across the country.

Applications are available now at www.axa-achievement.com, and the deadline for submission is Dec. 15, 2013. Additional details of the AXA Achievement^sm program are featured in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Colleges 2014" guidebook, available at the U.S. News Store and on newsstands Sept. 24, 2013.

"As the cost of attending college continues to rise, AXA Achievement^sm provides an invaluable resource for students and families through scholarship assistance," said Kerry Dyer, publisher of U.S. News & World Report. "U.S. News is proud to partner with such a great organization that supports students who are making a difference."

Under the AXA Achievement^sm Scholarship program, 52 students – one from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico – are awarded scholarships of $10,000. Of those students, 10 are selected as national winners and receive an additional $15,000 scholarship award. This brings the top AXA Achievers total scholarship awards to $25,000 each.

"AXA Equitable is about helping people build more secure futures," said Faith Frank, president of the AXA Foundation.  "Increasing educational opportunities through AXA Achievement^sm is a great way of starting young people on the road to that more secure future." 

Qualified candidates will have ambition and drive; determination to set and reach goals; and respect for self, family and community. The scholarship is administered by Scholarship Management Services™, a program of Scholarship America^sm, one of the nation's largest nonprofit private sector scholarship and educational support organizations.

The U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, which groups schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, has grown to be the most comprehensive research tool for students and parents considering higher education opportunities.

About AXA Foundation
The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AXA Equitable, one of the nation's premier financial services organizations and a member of the global AXA Group, a worldwide leader in financial protection and wealth management. The Foundation directs the company's philanthropic and volunteer activities, working to improve the quality of life in communities across the country where AXA has a presence. The AXA Foundation's multifaceted signature program, AXA Achievement, supports the company's strong commitment to Corporate Responsibility and AXA Group's flagship theme of "Risk Research and Education," by providing America's youth with the access and advice to help them succeed in college and beyond. For more information, visit www.axa-achievement.com or AXA Equitable's Facebook page.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is a multi-platform publisher of news and analysis, which includes the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, www.usnews.com and www.rankingsandreviews.com. Focusing on Health, Personal Finance, Education, Travel, Cars and Public Service/Opinion, U.S. News has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. U.S. News & World Report's signature franchise includes its News You Can Use® brand of journalism and its annual "Best" series of consumer Web guides and publications that include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, mutual funds, health plans and more.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report