FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2017

CONTACT:
McKenna Young
484-385-2913 (office)
myoung@briancom.com

50 Exceptional Students from Montana Awarded with $10,000 Scholarships from the Horatio Alger Association

Through the generosity of Horatio Alger Member Dennis R. Washington and his wife, Phyllis, the Association awards college scholarships to young men and women from Montana

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 25, 2017) – Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams through higher education, today announced that 50 students from Montana will receive the prestigious 2017 Horatio Alger Montana Scholarship in the amount of $10,000. Generously funded by the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, the philanthropic organization for The Washington Companies, these scholarships recognize young men and women for their admirable commitment to continuing their education and serving their communities, despite facing adversity.

Since the scholarship program started in 2004, nearly 800 Montana Scholars have been awarded more than $3.8 million. Now in its 14th year, the scholarship program is open to high school seniors in Montana who maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA, exhibit financial need and demonstrate perseverance in overcoming personal challenges. Applicants must be planning to attend the University of Montana or Montana State University, or one of their affiliates. In addition to the $10,000 scholarship, the University of Montana and Montana State University system schools provide an additional $5,000 award to each recipient, bringing the total scholarship amount to $15,000 to be disbursed over the course of the student’s college career. As part of Horatio Alger Association’s Collegiate Partners program, the University of Montana and Montana State University, along with their affiliates, share the Association’s mission to provide support and campus resources to Scholars who show incredible promise and have overcome difficult circumstances.

In a joint statement, Mr. and Mrs. Washington said, “It is a privilege for us to provide these deserving students with a means to further their education. We started our Foundation because we were grateful for those who helped us achieve our goals, and we wanted to afford the same opportunity to others. Now, we are thankful for the Horatio Alger Scholars who, year after year, share with us their remarkable stories of overcoming adversity. We look forward to keeping in touch with these students and witnessing all that they will accomplish throughout their lives.”

The 2017 Horatio Alger Montana Scholarship recipients have maintained an average GPA of 3.45 and an average ACT score of 23, while coming from households with an average annual income of $22,844.

“We are grateful for the generosity displayed by Mr. and Mrs. Washington as they continue to support the Association and our deserving Scholars,” said Tony Novelly, chairman, Horatio Alger Association. “We are honored to work with their Foundation to jointly better the lives of these outstanding students from Montana who have remained dedicated to pursuing higher education despite the challenges they have faced.”

Horatio Alger Association was founded in 1947, and since 1984, it has administered one of the nation’s largest privately-funded, need-based scholarship programs. The Association has awarded more than $125 million in undergraduate, graduate and specialized scholarships to students from across the United States (including all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) and Canada. In 2000, 16 years after the establishment of its National Scholarship Program, Horatio Alger Members began funding scholarships concentrated in each state to further the Association’s mission of helping deserving young people pursue their collegiate goals.

For a complete list of the 2017 Horatio Alger Montana State Scholars, please click here. For more information about Horatio Alger Association, please visit www.horatioalger.org or follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

###

About Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans:
Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. is dedicated to the simple but powerful belief that hard work, honesty and determination can conquer all obstacles. The Association honors the achievements of outstanding leaders who have accomplished remarkable successes in spite of adversity by bestowing upon them the Horatio Alger Award and inducting them as lifetime Members. Horatio Alger Members support promising young people with the resources and confidence needed to overcome adversity in pursuit of their dreams through higher education. Through the generosity of its Members and friends, the Association awards more than $12 million annually in undergraduate and graduate need-based scholarships across the United States and Canada and provides college support and mentoring services to its Scholars. Since 1984, the Association has awarded more than $125 million in college scholarships to more than 22,000 deserving young people. For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org.