Jun 05, 2009
New College Scholarships for Students Affected by MS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS AFFECTED BY MS
National MS Society Awards $25,000 to 13 Utah Students
Salt Lake City, Utah -- The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recently presented scholarship awards to 13 students from Utah. Amanda Sumner of Jordan High was awarded the Mike Dugan Scholarship, a four-year scholarship worth $12,000. She is one of only six students nationwide receiving four-year awards. Angelina Kump of Riverton High was awarded a $2,000 one-year scholarship. The following students were the recipients of one-year awards: Leonard Davis, Riverton High; Jordann Farnsworth, Alta High; Collin Jensen, Orem High; Allan Jorgensen, Highland High; Joshua Loaiza, Viewmont High; Thomas “T.J.” Spidle, Mountain Crest High; McKenzie Goodfellow, Cyprus High; Diana James, Springville High; Ashlee Buxton, Timpanogos High; Micah “Shay” Bayles, Layton High; Matthew Simmons, Highland High.
Annette Royle, Chapter President for the National MS Society Utah State Chapter, honored the 13 students and their parents at an awards ceremony on June 3rd. The event was hosted by Phil McCarthey at the Walker McCarthey Mansion. This is the third year of the Utah State Chapter scholarship program.
MS can have a profound effect on a family, emotionally and financially. The economic impact is substantial. Direct and indirect costs of MS, including lost wages, (even for those with insurance coverage) are estimated at more than $69,000 annually, with a total lifetime cost per family of $3 million. These challenges make funding a college education that much harder.
“For the hundreds of thousands diagnosed with multiple sclerosis across the country, there are very few known sources of scholarship assistance specially targeted for these families,” said Royle. “MS shouldn’t stand in the way of an education, and we are hopeful this program will give families some relief.”
Biographies and photos of each of the recipients can be viewed at www.cureMSutah.org.
About the Scholarship Program
The MS Society’s scholarship program continues to grow both in terms of support and scholarships awarded. In 2009, across the nation, 510 awards totaling $1,021,600 were presented to people with MS or their children entering an accredited post-secondary educational program. Applications are evaluated based on financial need, academic record, leadership and volunteer activities, a statement of educational and career goals and letters of recommendation. Applicants are also asked to provide a personal statement describing the impact MS has had on their life. Most scholarships cover one year and are non-renewable.
The National MS Society Scholarship Program is administered by Scholarship America. Scholarship applications for 2010 will be available on the National MS Society website beginning October 1, 2009. The 2010 application process will close on January 15, 2010. For more information about the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, call 1-800-344-4867 or visit www.nationalMSsociety.org. To receive an application, call 1-800-537-4180, ext. 471 or visit the Society website.
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the body and stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.1 million worldwide.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. Last year alone, through our national office and 50-state network of chapters, we devoted over $136 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives. Locally, the Utah State Chapter provides programs and services designed to help the 30,000 people and families affected by MS in Utah to move their lives forward. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested approximately $50 million to support 440 research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS NOW. Join the movement at www.nationalMSsociety.org.
Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at www.nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-344-4867.
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