Ronald McDonald House Charities(R) of Southern California to Award $208,000 in College Scholarships to High School Seniors

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- As college tuition rates rise at University of California campuses(1) and student loans become increasingly difficult to obtain at private colleges and universities(2), high school seniors are in need of alternative methods to finance their college education. Today, Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southern California (RMHCSC) announced the availability of more than $200,000 in scholarship funds for deserving high school seniors who reside in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

The organization will award 104 - $2,000 scholarships through its four scholarship programs: Ronald McDonald House Charities/African American Future Achievers, RMHC/Asian Pacific American Students Increasing Achievement, RMHC/Hispanic American Commitment to Educational Resources (HACER) and RMHC/Scholars. Scholarship funds can be applied toward tuition, fees and other appropriate educational expenses. The application deadline is Friday, March 12, 2010 for all four scholarship programs.

"During these tough economic times, students need more financial assistance for school than ever before," said Nicole Rubin, CEO, RMHCSC. "Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California is committed to supporting our local high school seniors as they reach their college and career goals and become the leaders of tomorrow."

To be eligible for the scholarships, applicants must be currently-enrolled high school seniors who are eligible to attend a two- or four-year postsecondary institution following graduation. They must be legal U.S. residents, be less than 21 years of age, have a minimum 2.7 grade point average and reside within the boundaries of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

Applications are available online at www.rmhcsc.org and www.mcdonaldssocal.com. Students can also request an application via e-mail by sending the request to [email protected].

Since 1990, RMHCSC has awarded more than $3.3 million in scholarship funds to local students to help make their dream of a college education a reality. Funding for the scholarships is made possible through the global and Southern California chapters of RMHC and the fundraising efforts of local McDonald's owner/operators and corporate staff. McDonald's Operators' Association of Southern California (MOASC), composed of more than 600 McDonald's restaurants throughout Southern California, pays for all administrative costs of the Southern California scholarship program including producing and distributing the applications and hosting a recipient recognition event, which will be held at the Pacific Palms Resort and Conference Center in City of Industry, Calif. on June 5.

For more than 30 years RMHCSC has been dedicated to creating a community where children and their families embrace life and healing with a sense of hope, enthusiasm, courage and joy. In addition to four scholarship programs, throughout Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura, RMHCSC operates five Ronald McDonald Houses, Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, two Ronald McDonald Family Rooms and a Community Grants Board.

MOASC is composed of more than 600 franchised and company-owned McDonald's restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Follow us on Twitter: @McDonalds_SoCal.

(1) Regents Raise College Tuition in California by 32 Percent (New York Times, 2009)

(2) National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) Survey Gives Early Snapshot of the Impact of the Credit Crunch on Student Loans at Private Colleges and Universities (NAICU, 2008)

SOURCE Ronald McDonald House Charities