College Dreams Come True Thanks to Elks Scholarships

CHICAGO, Aug. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Elks National Foundation is proud to announce the start of the 2019 Most Valuable Student scholarship contest. The Most Valuable Student scholarship is available to high school seniors who are United States citizens. Applicants do not need to be related to a member of the Elks. Males and females compete separately and are judged on scholarship, leadership and financial need.

The application is completed online and must be submitted by the November 15, 2018, deadline. The 500 national winners will be announced in April 2019, after the top 20 finalists participate in the Leadership Weekend in Chicago, April 11-14.

No dream is too big for the Elks National Foundation. This year, the ENF is investing $4.8 million in college scholarships for our nation's future lawyers, doctors, engineers and more. We've invested wisely. MVS scholars—all of whom demonstrate scholarship, leadership and financial need—are graduating from college at a rate of 90 percent, nearly 40 percent higher than the national average.

Through the contest, the ENF will award 20 top scholarships ranging from $20,000 to $50,000. The remaining 480 runners-up will receive $4,000 scholarships. Since the ENF began awarding scholarships in 1931, it has changed the lives of thousands of students like 2017 MVS scholar Pearl Zhang who has never allowed an eye condition to prevent her from accomplishing her goals in life.

"Growing up in a low-income family really taught me the value of hard work and the importance of having a dream, and not giving up on that dream despite other people having doubts," Zhang says. "When I was really young, I knew I wanted to go to college, so college became a large part of that dream, and I was determined to achieve that goal."

Pearl will be achieving her goal by attending Swarthmore College to study chemistry in the fall.

Applications for the 2019 contest are available on the Elks National Foundation's website. For complete Most Valuable Student scholarship contest details including the application, visit elks.org/scholars or enf.elks.org/MVS.

Contact: Elks National Foundation
Christine Robinson | Communications Senior Associate
2750 N. Lakeview Ave. | Chicago, IL 60614-2256
773/755-4860 | [email protected]

Helping Elks Build Stronger Communities

With nearly 800,000 members and nearly 1,900 Lodges nationwide, Elks are providing charitable services that help build stronger communities across the United States. The Elks National Foundation, the charitable arm of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, helps Elks build stronger communities through programs that support youth, serve veterans and meet needs in areas where Elks live and work. To learn more, visit elks.org/enf.

SOURCE Elks National Foundation

Related Links

http://www.elks.org/enf