Rep. DeLissio urges eligible students to apply for House of Representatives scholarship

With the deadline just over a month away, State Representative Pamela DeLissio, D-Phila./Montgomery, of the 194th District is urging Pennsylvania high school seniors to apply for the 2012 House of Representatives scholarship.

Seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA who plan on attending a four-year college, university or career school in Pennsylvania full-time, have until March 1 to apply for the scholarship. Applicants must have strong leadership skills, a background in community service, extracurricular activities and must be legal residents of the state with a family in need of financial assistance.

The four-year scholarship is annually awarded to two high school seniors and must only be used for tuition, fees and books. The amount awarded varies, but equals the cost of one semester of tuition at a Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education university. PASSHE universities include 14 universities in the state that offer the lowest cost for a four-year baccalaureate degree. Among the 14 are: Cheyney, Kutztown, Shippensburg, East Stroudsberg, Bloomsburg and Lock Haven. PASSHE in-state tuition for the 2011-2012 is $6,240, according to the PASSHE website.

“The program is privately funded by individual and corporate donors,” DeLissio said in a statement. “No tax or other public funds are used.”

The program is administered by the Foundation for Enhancing Communities. Legislators’ children are not eligible for the scholarship.

To apply, visit www.tref.org or contact the foundation directly at 717-236-5040.