USA Funds Awards More Than $1 Million in Scholarships

INDIANAPOLIS, July 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- USA Funds®, a nonprofit organization that helps American families benefit from postsecondary education, has announced the award of more than $1 million in scholarships to help 669 low- to moderate-income students nationwide pay tuition and other higher education expenses.

"These awards will help students from groups underrepresented in higher education pursue a college degree," said Robert C. Ballard, USA Funds senior vice president, Access and Outreach.

Since 2002 USA Funds' annual scholarship program has delivered more than $56.5 million to 17,260 low- to moderate-income students.

Under the program, USA Funds awarded $1,500 scholarships to students from households with incomes of $35,000 or less, with special consideration for students who are members of an ethnic minority group or who have a documented physical disability. The scholarship recipients must either plan to enroll or be enrolled in full- or half-time undergraduate or full-time graduate- or professional-degree coursework at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational/technical school, beginning with the fall 2011 term through at least Feb. 1, 2012.

The recipients were selected based on additional factors, including the student's past academic performance and future potential, leadership and participation in school and community activities, work experience, career and educational aspirations and goals, and any unusual personal or family circumstances.

Scholarship Management Services, a program of Scholarship America, the nation's largest private-sector scholarship and educational support organization, administered the program on USA Funds' behalf.

View a list of first-time scholarship recipients by visiting www.usafunds.org/scholarship.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, USA Funds is a nonprofit corporation that works to enhance postsecondary education preparedness, access and success by providing and supporting financial and other valued services. For more information about USA Funds, visit www.usafunds.org.

SOURCE USA Funds