Applicants encouraged to sign up for scholarships

Do you need to ease the burden of college tuition? For more than 40 years, the West Hempstead Community Scholarship Fund, a group of public-spirited residents who seek to promote the education of students in West Hempstead and Island Park, have raised funds through the cooperation and generosity of members as well as neighbors, businesses and service groups in the community in an effort to recognize hard-working students.

The Fund plans to honor at least three students with scholarships of $2,000 in 2012 to all students who reside in the West Hempstead Union Free School District or attend West Hempstead High School.

Applications are currently available in the high school guidance office and in the West Hempstead Public Library. They have also been distributed to many private schools West Hempstead attended.

All completed applications must be postmarked by March 23 for consideration. Applications are reviewed by the Fund’s selection committee, which selects semi-finalists, who undergo an interview process in early May. Scholarships are awarded at the Fund’s annual dinner on June 3: they’re based on an evaluation of character, potential, community service and financial need.

If you have questions, contact selection committee chairwoman Karen Crowley at the West Hempstead Community Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 2132, West Hempstead, NY 11552 or by phone (516)385-2206.