AbbVie Invites Students with Cystic Fibrosis to Apply for the AbbVie CF Scholarship for the 2020-2021 Academic School Year

- National scholarship awards $3,000 to 40 exceptional students living with cystic fibrosis (CF) for academic excellence, creativity and community involvement

- Top 40 students compete later in the year for public votes to receive one of two Thriving Student Scholarships for a total of $25,000 each

- Over $3.3 million in scholarships awarded to CF students to date through the AbbVie CF Scholarship program, now in its 28th year

News provided by

AbbVie

Apr 08, 2020, 11:00 ET

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., April 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie, a global research and development-based biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the AbbVie CF Scholarship program is now accepting applications for the 2020-2021 academic school year. Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to apply for the scholarship until May 24, 2020 by visiting www.AbbVieCFScholarship.com. Eligible students can apply online or by downloading an application on the official scholarship website.

"I've always been incredibly passionate about my education and believe that having CF has motivated me to work even harder to accomplish my personal and professional goals," said Katherine "Katie" Lawliss, 2019 Thriving Graduate Student. "To be recognized by the AbbVie CF Scholarship program is incredibly inspiring and reminds me that my disease is not a disability and that quitting isn't an option. As I continue my studies in clinical psychology, I hope to inspire others living with CF to further their education and pursue their own dreams."

Over the past few decades, the AbbVie CF Scholarship has awarded more than $3.3 million in scholarships to remarkable students living with CF who demonstrate academic excellence, creativity and community involvement. This year, the AbbVie CF Scholarship will award $3,000 scholarships to 40 exceptional students for use toward higher-education expenses during the 2020-2021 academic school year. The 40 students selected to receive the $3,000 scholarship will also be given the opportunity to compete for an additional $22,000 through one of two AbbVie CF Scholarship award categories: Thriving Undergraduate Student and Thriving Graduate Student.

AbbVie will announce the 2020 Thriving Undergraduate and Thriving Graduate Scholarship recipients this fall. The Thriving Undergraduate and Graduate Student Scholarships are granted based on a combination of exceptional academics, achievements and a creative presentation. These awards are also determined, in part, by public votes cast over a two-week voting period to be announced in the fall.

"We celebrate all of the remarkable students living with CF who with great determination and resilience are able to make incredible strides in and out of the classroom," said John Duffey, vice president, U.S. Specialty, AbbVie. "Recipients of the AbbVie CF Scholarship continue to be positive role models for the CF community and make us proud to lead such an impactful program."

The AbbVie CF Scholarship is part of the company's ongoing commitment to the CF community, which is comprised of more than 30,000 people in the United States. Today, more than half of the CF population is age 18 or older.¹For more information about the scholarship, please visit www.AbbVieCFScholarship.com.

About Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of those living with this condition.¹ In patients with CF, a thick, sticky mucus is produced in certain organs throughout the body, most commonly the lungs and digestive system. The mucus build-up in the lungs can cause difficulty breathing and may lead to life-threatening lung infections. In the digestive system, the thick mucus may prevent proper food digestion, potentially leading to malabsorption and malnutrition.

About the AbbVie CF Scholarship
The AbbVie CF Scholarship was established 28 years ago in recognition of the financial burdens many families touched by CF face and to acknowledge the achievements of students with CF. Since its inception, the scholarship program has awarded over $3.3 million in scholarships to over 1,000 students. The AbbVie CF Scholarship is part of AbbVie's ongoing commitment to the CF community, which is comprised of more than 30,000 people in the United States. As of 2016, more than half of the CF population are 18 years or older.¹

It is not necessary for scholarship applicants to have taken, currently take, or intend to take in the future, any medicine or product marketed by AbbVie, and this is not a consideration in the selection criteria. More information about the AbbVie CF Scholarship criteria and application can be found at www.AbbVieCFScholarship.com.

About AbbVie
AbbVie is a global, research and development-based biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative advanced therapies for some of the world's most complex and critical conditions. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to markedly improve treatments across four primary therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, virology and neuroscience. In more than 75 countries, AbbVie employees are working every day to advance health solutions for people around the world. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram.

References

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. About Cystic Fibrosis. Diagnosis and Genetics. Available at: https://www.cff.org/What-is-CF/About-Cystic-Fibrosis/. Accessed February 2020.

SOURCE AbbVie