ANNOUNCING
THE LAFD
MERIT SCHOLAR AWARDS
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Many of us face substantial financial hurdles in order to assist our children in their pursuit of a college education. While attaining higher education will be one of their most enduring accomplishments, rising tuition costs make the realization of this goal an increasingly difficult challenge. Fortunately, good news has arrived!
The Jean Perkins Foundation, a private non-profit institution, has among its charitable interests aiding individuals that protect and serve the community as first responders and in 2006 established and funded the LAFD Scholarship Fund.
Now each year, the LAFD Scholarship Fund selects a group of Merit Scholars from among applicants that are a) dependent children or step-children of active or fallen LAFD sworn employees who have completed probation and b) high school seniors or college freshmen who will be enrolled as full-time students in an accredited college or university in the upcoming academic year starting next fall.
The Merit Scholar Awards are cash grants of up to $20,000 ($5,000 per year while the student continues to be enrolled and making normal progress toward a college degree). Runners-up receive one-time grants of $2,500. New this year is an award of $2,500 for "Best Essay".
These scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit. The single most important factor is academic achievement, but the all-civilian Selection Committee also considers other relevant criteria, including personal character and extracurricular accomplishments.
The Selection Committee expects to meet in April in order to identify this year's finalists. These applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview to take place sometime during April or May on a date determined by the committee. The winners will be selected and announced shortly following those interviews.
For further information on this year's competition, go to the departmental website www.lafd.org/scholarship or contact June Andrade at the LAFD Scholarship Fund by phone at (213) 435-6095 or e-mail: june.andrade@lacity.org.
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