For the twelfth straight year, Simon Youth Foundation, a national nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for at-risk high school students, will award a college scholarship to one student from every community that is home to a Simon property, including Burlington.

Simon Youth Foundation Community Scholarships are awarded through the Simon Youth Scholarships program and in partnership with local Simon properties. The application period is open from Tuesday, January 17, to Thursday, March 1, 2012.

Locally, students can pick up a copy of a scholarship application at the Simon Guest Services Centerat Burlington Mall. Applications also can be downloaded at the SYF website at www.syf.org/our-initiatives/scholarships/community-application.

Any student who will be graduating in the class of 2012 and lives within 50 miles of a Simon property is eligible. The program will award a one-time scholarship of up to $1,400 to students who plan to enroll in an accredited college, university, vocational or technical school.

In 2011, the Simon Youth Scholarships program awarded $1.15 million to 260 students nationwide. 

“Our mission is to ignite hope for a brighter future in students, and our Foundation is proud to partner with Burlington Mall to award scholarships that will remove some of the financial obstacles that would otherwise prevent a student from achieving the dream of a college education,” says J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D., the President and CEO of SYF.

The 2012 SYF Community Scholarship recipients will be selected by Scholarship Management Services, a third-party administrator. Students are selected based on a variety of criteria, including financial need, academic performance, leadership skills and participation in school and community activities. Those students who are the first in their family to pursue a post secondary education will also be given close consideration.

The completed application, along with official school transcripts and parents’ most recently filed tax form, must be sent to Scholarship Management Services by March 1, 2012.

About SYF

Simon Youth Foundation, established in 1998, supports 23 Simon Youth Academies in 13 U.S. states that give at-risk students the same education they would receive in a traditional classroom while offering the flexibility that their individual circumstances require. Recipient of the Crystal Star Award of Excellence in Dropout Prevention from the National Dropout Prevention Center, the foundation has helped more than 8,000 students earn their high school diploma and provided more than $9.7 million in college scholarships to 3,200 students in 42 states.The Education Commission of the United  States has recognized the foundation with its Corporate Award for sustained and substantial investment in improving public education.

About Burlington Mall

Burlington Mall is an upscale shopping center anchored by Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, Macy's and Sears. Burlington Mall features more than 185 specialty shops, a newly renovated Food Court and a variety of great restaurants. Stop by to experience our exciting new stores, including: 77 kids by American Eagle, Anthropologie, Burberry, Lululemon Athletica, Hanna Andersson, LUSH, Solstice and Sperry Top-Sider. When you're done shopping, visit Legal Sea Foods, Rainforest Cafe, Uno Chicago Grill or The Cheesecake Factory for a unique dining experience.