BROOKLYN, NY, May 12, 2009 -- The Financial Service Centers of New York (FSCNY) today held its Seventeenth Annual Conference and Vendor Show at which it announced its annual scholarship award winners. The FSCNY/MoneyGram International Scholarship Program recognizes New York City area high school students for their academic achievements and community service. This year, 17 students received scholarships with a total value of $43,000; the grand prize was $7,500. Since the program’s inception in 1996, the FSCNY college scholarship program has helped 220 deserving students attend Ivy League and other selective universities and colleges. In total, $468,000 in college scholarships has been awarded.

The all-day Annual Conference included a general membership meeting with hundreds of New York’s financial service center providers and a vendor showcase featuring more than forty industry vendors with their latest products and services. The conference also featured a number of seminars on key topics to help members keep up-to-date on the latest trends in areas such as marketing, security, employee hiring and retention, and regulatory compliance.

The conference highlight was the scholarship awards luncheon at which several of the top award winners were in attendance. Now in its 14^thyear, FSCNY awards one-time cash grants to New York State high school seniors who meet the following selection criteria:

• Commitment to community service
• Perseverance in the face of significant obstacles
• Display leadership skills in school
• Academic achievement

 “FSCNY members pride themselves on their community involvement, and a key element of that support is the annual scholarship program,” said Sanford Herman, chairman of the FSCNY Scholarship Program. “FSCNY is honored to be in the position to help these students thrive and further their educations. We applaud these young leaders and their dreams.”

Winners of this year’s FSCNY/MoneyGram International scholarships include:

  Name                                        City                                       High School

About FSCNY

The Financial Service Centers of New York is the industry’s leading voice on legislative, regulatory and business issues and the leading advocate for the rights of consumers to access basic financial services in New York. FSCNY represents about 660 check cashing centers, which employ nearly 4,000 New York residents. FSCNY members annually cash more than 29 million checks with a face value in excess of $14 billion. New York has the second-lowest check cashing fee in the nation at 1.82%.