March 8, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: Bonnie Prigge, Luci Flaim 573-265-2993

Scholarships available for Meramec Region seniors
Deadline for 2012-13 applications is April 1 

The Richard and Jeanne Cavender Scholarship for Public Service fund committee plans to award two $500 scholarships for the 2012-13 academic year through the Meramec Regional Community Foundation (MRCF).

MRCF is an outgrowth of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) and is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO), Springfield. Richard Cavender retired last year after 32 years as executive director of MRPC and now serves on the CFO Board of Directors.

The Cavender scholarship fund, the first established under MRCF, was established to provide financial assistance to a college-bound senior, who would otherwise have difficulty paying for college, at a high school within the Meramec Region counties of Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington.

The scholarships for 2012-13 will be awarded to a high school senior that demonstrates a desire to have a career in pubic service such as education, public administration, planning, social work or a related activity. Other qualifications include:

• A senior demonstrating financial need; submitting a FAFSA-EFC form;
• A senior who worked and/or participated in community service and/or extra-curricular activities;
• A senior who is not expected to receive other large scholarship awards or financial aid;
• A senior who has maintained a 95 percent school attendance record;  
• A senior who has maintained a minimum 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale during their high school career; and
• A senior who has at least a 21 ACT score (if college requires ACT for admission).

The selection committee is composed of four community representatives appointed by MRCF and a Cavender family representative.

Scholarship applications are available from the high schools’ counselors’ offices and online at www.meramecregion.org and should be postmarked by midnight, April 1, 2012 and sent to Meramec Regional Community Foundation, attention Luci Flaim, 4 Industrial Drive, St. James, MO 65559. The selection committee plans to meet in early April to determine the recipients and provide names to CFO.

The selected recipients will receive award letters from CFO, including instructions to visit the CFO website at www.cfozarks.org and activate their scholarship for payment. When the required documentation is received, payment will be made to the recipient’s college account. If the recipient withdraws from school, the unused funds will be returned to CFO for deposit in the scholarship fund.

MRCF was established in May 2010 and serves Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties outside of existing CFO affiliate areas.

For more information on MRCF or questions regarding the Richard and Jeanne Cavender Scholarship for Public Service, contact Luci Flaim at MRPC at (573) 265-2993 or by email at lflaim@meramecregion.org.

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