The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges                      
250 E. Broad St., Suite 1700
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3722

For more information, please contact Cheryl Kight,
614-649-1950 ext. 111 or kight@ofic.org

June 21, 2010 - For immediate release

AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY MAKES $35,000 SCHOLARSHIP GIFT TO THE OHIO FOUNDATION OF INDEPENDENT COLLEGES

American Electric Power Company (AEP) has provided $35,000 in scholarship support to the 2009-2010 campaign of The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC). 

With a cumulative giving total of ­­­nearly $2 million, AEP has supported the mission of OFIC to provide access to independent higher education to Ohio’s students for 58 years.   The company has designated its support specifically to provide scholarships to students majoring in Accounting, Business, Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, English, Computer Information Systems or Engineering.  AEP is currently providing scholarships to 34 students enrolled in OFIC member colleges and universities.
 
Christopher Cornelius, a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Dayton, is the recipient of a scholarship provided by American Electric Power Company.  He wrote to his donor, “I hope to work on new generations of energy systems.  Energy demands have doubled in just two decades, and work needs to be done to prepare.  I feel I can make an impact, and when I chose the University of Dayton, I was excited about the potential it held for me, but I was concerned whether I could afford to attend there.  It would not be possible without your support.  Thank you.  You have truly touched my life, and I hope I will be able to do the same for others.”

OFIC, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, is the primary corporate and foundation solicitation organization for 34 Ohio independent colleges and universities. OFIC member colleges collectively enroll 99,000 students.  For 60 years the Foundation has worked to highlight the leadership, value and excellence of independent higher education.  Through contributions raised in annual solicitations of businesses and foundations OFIC has provided unrestricted operating funds and scholarship assistance, thereby assuring continuation of excellence in independent higher education.  OFIC is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of Ohio’s corporate leaders, as well as presidents of the 34 member colleges.

The member colleges are:  Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg University, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone University, Marietta College, Mount Union College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum University, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein University, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster. 

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