$30,000 in Scholarships Awarded Nationally by NH Nonprofit

Editors: For photos of student winners, contact Erin Hathaway.

Concord, NH - To date, thirty high school and college students from across the country have been awarded a $1,000 college scholarship through The New Hampshire Higher Education Loan Corporation's monthly scholarship drawing, launched with the creation of their private student loan program, EDvestinU^®. Past winners have included high school seniors, graduate and undergraduate students and first-generation college students from across the country. Most recently these nine students were awarded the scholarship prize:

Samantha Dienst - Massachusetts College of Art & Design
Mitchel Philippe - University of New Hampshire
Zoe Grenier - University of New Hampshire
Melissa LaPointe - Southern NH University
Melyssa Slayton - Plymouth State University
Austin Otto - University of St. Thomas
Liana McWilliams - Cabrillo College, Aptos
Damie Liepitz - Colorado Mesa University
Grant Hamel - University of Rhode Island

Access to scholarship programs a much-needed and sought after resource as students work to afford higher education. In short interviews with all of the past thirty winners, students sounded off about the importance of scholarship programs; Samantha Dienst, a winner from January, noted, "Winning means $1,000 that I do not have to sink deeper into debt with. A small part of the weight of my loans has been lifted..." Damie Liepitz, a college student from Colorado addressed the stress that can come from figuring out how to afford higher education, "This means the world to me because it was a huge confidence boost with my financial situation. When I got the letter in the mail saying I had been chosen, I felt my load lighten. Every little bit helps these days..."

Lee Cooper, a student at Plymouth State University recognizes that he is not the only student under financial stress, "Many people feel the strain of trying to budget their money and a little help can go a long way. Winning this scholarship means I can focus more on school and worry less about paying for supplies for classes." The scholarship program reiterates EDvestinU's commitment to providing students with accessible resources in support of their pursuit of higher education. Andrew Scott, an adult student from Washington, reiterated the importance of programs being available to college students, "As a displaced worker returning to school in hopes of a better career and better life for my family, winning this scholarship was a much needed boost in both confidence and finance."

Three winners are randomly chosen each month through a drawing of entrants. Eligible students can be either high school seniors or current college students. To learn more about the scholarship program and the other services offered by EDvestinU^®, visit www.edvestinu.com.

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EDvestinU® is a national student loan program of the New Hampshire Higher Education Loan Corporation (NHHELCO), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that provides students and families with the resources and funding to pursue higher education aspirations. NHHELCO is one of three active nonprofit companies that comprise The NHHEAF Network Organizations. Funds generated by the Organizations make its charitable mission possible as student loan earnings are reinvested in programs and services that benefit citizens of New Hampshire.