The Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program Kicks Off for Third Consecutive Year

Twenty Exceptional Student Athletes Will Each Receive a $20,000 College Scholarship for Being Leaders in their Communities

NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Foot Locker Foundation, Inc. awards 20 college scholarships to 20 outstanding student athletes (totaling $400,000) through The Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program for the third consecutive year. The program honors students who demonstrate academic excellence and exemplify strong leadership skills in sports and within their communities. The Foundation is pleased to once again be working with DoSomething.org in administering this scholarship program.

"For the past two years, we've had the distinct privilege of witnessing first-hand the incredible impact our scholarship program has had on exceptionally talented and deserving students, particularly those who may not have had the opportunity to even attend college without the added financial support," said Ken C. Hicks, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Foot Locker, Inc. "At a time when attaining a college education has become increasingly challenging, it is important to continue to offer scholarships, such as The Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program, that provide options for aspiring students."

According to the Project on Student Debt, conducted by the Institute for College Access and Success, the average student loan debt for the class of 2011 rose to an all-time high of $26,600 per graduate. With these rising costs, students are spending more and more time searching for ways to decrease the financial burden of pursuing a degree.

"The Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program seeks to be a game changer in the land of scholarships, taking a new approach to the typical athletic scholarship," said Aria Finger, Chief Operating Officer at DoSomething.org. "We are excited to be working with the Foot Locker Foundation in recognizing these amazing young people and can't wait to help 20 more outstanding scholar athletes as they pursue their college dreams."

This year's 20 winners will join the program's two previous classes of Foot Locker Scholar Athletes, which will result in 60 total scholarship recipients over the three years since the program's inception.

Applicants must be college-bound in the Fall of 2014, participate in a sports related activity and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA.  Participants will be required to submit two essays and one recommendation. All applications will be reviewed by a panel of scholarship experts. Students can apply online or be nominated by teachers, coaches, mentors, family and friends by visiting www.dosomething.org/footlocker. Applications close December 19, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. (EST). 

The Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program is a part of the Foot Locker Foundation, Inc., the charitable arm of Foot Locker, Inc., which provides monetary support for educational and sports programs across the country. Supporting this all-star program is Fastweb, a trusted scholarship and financial aid resource used by students to help find opportunities to pay for school.

About Foot Locker, Inc.:
Foot Locker, Inc. is a specialty athletic retailer that operates approximately 3,495 stores in 23 countries in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Over the years, Foot Locker, Inc. has developed meaningful partnerships and programs to improve and enrich the educational opportunities for children across the country. Through its Foot Locker, Footaction, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Runners Point, and Sidestep retail stores, as well as its direct-to-customer channels including Footlocker.com, Eastbay, and CCS.com, the Company is a leading provider of athletic footwear and apparel. For more information, visit www.footlocker-inc.com.

About DoSomething.org:
We love teens. They are creative, active, wired...and frustrated that our world is so messed up. DoSomething.org harnesses that awesome energy and unleashes it on causes teens care about. Almost every week, we launch a new national campaign. The call to action is always something that has a real impact and doesn't require money, an adult, or a car. With a goal of 5 million active members by 2015, DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the US for teens and social change. Join us at www.DoSomething.org.

About Fastweb:
Fastweb, a top site in the Monster Worldwide (NYSE:MWW) network, is the nation's recognized leader in helping students pay for school, by providing scholarship and financial aid information, as well as information on jobs and internships. One out of three college-bound seniors use the site, and more than 50 million users have benefitted from Fastweb's information and services. Fastweb lets students create personalized profile that can be matched against its expansive databases of colleges and scholarships. As the oldest and most popular free online scholarship matching service, the database has more than 1.5 million scholarships totaling over $3.4 billion. To learn more about Fastweb, visit www.fastweb.com and follow on Twitter at @PayingForSchool.

SOURCE DoSomething.org