$338K In Scholarship Money Up For Grabs

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California announced today it is poised to award $338,000 in scholarship funds to deserving high school seniors who reside in Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

The 2013/2014 online application period closes Jan. 21, and interested students should visit www.rmhc.org to apply.

"A college education is a vital and valuable tool for students as they make the transition into adulthood and prepare for successful careers," said Vince Bryson, CEO of RMHC of Southern California. "Since 1990, we have been committed to helping future leaders make the dream of college a more affordable reality, so they can truly enjoy and take advantage of the all the opportunities that a higher education affords."

The organization will award 109 scholarships this year through its four programs: RMHC/African American Future Achievers, RMHC/Asian Pacific American Students Increasing Achievement (ASIA), RMHC/Hispanic American Commitment to Educational Resources (HACER) and RMHC/Scholars.

Scholarship funds can be applied toward tuition, fees and other appropriate educational expenses.

Applicants must be currently enrolled high school seniors who are eligible to attend a two- or four-year postsecondary institution following graduation. They must be legal U.S. residents, be less than 21 years old, have a minimum 2.7 grade point average and reside within the boundaries of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

Since 1990, RMHC of Southern California has awarded more than $4.5 million in scholarship funds to local students, with funding coming through the global and Southern California chapters of RMHC and the fundraising efforts of local McDonald's owner/operators and corporate staff.

The McDonald's Operators' Association of Southern California pays for all administrative costs of the scholarship programs, including the production and distribution of applications and a recipient recognition event, which will be held in May.

The McDonald's Operators' Association of Southern California is comprised of more than 600 franchised and company-owned McDonald's restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. --City News Service