Scholarship Opportunity Available for Adults & High School Seniors

By Staff

In keeping with its mission to help individuals achieve financial wellness throughout all stages of life, The Center for Smart Financial Choices (CFSFC) announced its second set of scholarship opportunities for current or rising college students. The scholarships offer not only financial assistance, but include a financial education component, positioning recipients for both immediate and long-term financial security A total of $6,000 is available through the Johnston Financial Education Scholarship program for the 2015-2016 school years.

The Center for Smart Financial Choices (the Center) was established in 2011 as a non-profit membership organization designed to provide educational courses that will assist people by encouraging financial competency. Its Mission is to empower all individuals to achieve financial wellness through all stages of life by educating individuals, providing them with choices and helping them to change their behaviors. The Center partners with community agencies, schools and other non-profits to provide this education at convenient locations on or off-site.

“It gives us great pleasure to help individuals establish healthy financial habits wherever they are in life, young, changing careers or just starting out with their first job,” said Betty Ann Falkner, director, Center for Smart Financial Choices. “With this information, the chances are greater that these new financial habits become second nature throughout life.”

The scholarships offered include:

· $2,000 for any youth (17-21) planning on or attending college

· $2,000 scholarship for any adult (22-75) pursuing a technical or vocational education, an associate’s degree, or a first bachelor’s degree

· $2,000 scholarship for any Hispanic/Latino youth (17-21) planning on attending college

To be eligible for consideration in any of these scholarship opportunities, applicants are required to become a member of the Center for Smart Financial Choices and be enrolled or accepted as a full-time student in an accredited college or university. Applicants are also required to attend two financial education classes before April 17, 2015.

“Everyone who applies and goes through the program comes out with the knowledge of how to make good financial choices as they enter college or complete their degrees,” said Faulkner. “We want them to start out on the right foot, get out and stay out of debt before and after college and always know that the Center is here as a resource all along the way.”

Scholarship applicants will be evaluated by the Center’s selection committee based on demonstrated academic ability with a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0 and demonstrated writing ability. Youth applicants must submit a 500 word essay titled ‘How I plan to go to college without creating unnecessary debt’ and adults’ essay focuses on ‘What going to college will mean for my future.’

Deadline for the scholarship application, along with the membership fee of $15 to the Center, is Wednesday, February 25, 2015. Supplemental information (essay, transcripts, acceptance letter) is due by April 17, 2015.

For more information about the scholarship, visit the Center’s website HERE and for the complete application, click HERE