Maria Magnus will be leading the Magnus Charitable Trust in helping to educate an additional 25 Chicago area high school seniors graduating in the spring that meet the financial hardship guidelines of its 2009 Scholarship. Applications will be sent out to high schools in Cook, DuPage, Lake and Will counties in Illinois and posted on the charity’s website. Students have until April 18th to return the application and required documentation for the scholarship.

The charity had helped 50 students in 2004 by granting them approximately $20,000 each towards their undergraduate studies. With 43 of those scholarship recipients finished with their college degrees in 2009, Maria Magnus was inspired to assist more students financially to get into college. Magnus Charitable Trust’s director Maria Magnus had this to say: “With the economy the way it is, people sometimes forget about those who were already financially challenged. That is why now more than ever it is time to offer this scholarship again.”

The financial support received by the 2004 recipients was important to the students, but most appreciated was the mentoring program put in place by the Trust. Many professionals volunteered their time to follow up with the students through their years of college; many of them working in the fields the students were striving to enter after graduation. Many of the graduates from the 2004 Scholarship have volunteered to mentor the next group of students.

Click the links here for a copy of the application and guidelines for the 2009 scholarship. Forms must be returned to Magnus Charitable Trust by 5 o’clock pm on Saturday April 18, 2009. Magnus Charitable Trust is not responsible for lost or misdirected applications.