Assemblywoman Maureen O'Connell announced that the GreenPoint Foundation, an educational and charitable affiliate of GreenPoint Bank, is offering 100 $2,500 scholarships, and is now accepting applications for the 2003 GreenPoint Achievers (GPA) Scholarship Program.

"Each scholarship is worth up to $10,000 over a four-year period," said O'Connell. "I encourage all interested students to take advantage of this opportunity and to apply before the March 1, 2003 deadline."

According to O'Connell, applicants must meet the following criteria:

* Show financial need;

* Be a high school senior who plans to enroll in a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two or four-year college, university or vocational school;

* Having a cumulative 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent and a minimum combined SAT score of 1000; and

* Reside in the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx or Staten Island, or in Westchester, Nassau or Suffolk counties.

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of financial need, academic record, potential to succeed, leadership and participation in school and community activities, honors, work experience, a statement of educational and career goals, an outside appraisal and three letters of reference. Employees and dependents of employees of GreenPoint Financial Corp. and its subsidiaries are not eligible to participate in this program.

Interested students must complete the application and mail it along with a complete transcript of grades, three letters of reference and the top page of their parent's Form 1040 to GreenPoint Achiever's Scholarship Program, Scholarship Management Services, CSFA, 1505 Riverview Road, PO Box 297, St. Peter, MN 56082 and postmarked no later than March 1. Applicants will be notified by mid-April whether or not they have been selected to receive an award. For an application kit, contact Assemblywoman O'Connell's office a 222-0007 or call GreenPoint directly at (507) 931-1682.