PRESS RELEASE

Point Foundation Opens 2009 Application Season and Announces Named
Scholarship Donors

Last update: 1:12 p.m. EST Dec. 8, 2008

LOS ANGELES, Dec 08, 2008 /PRNewswire- USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Point
Foundation (Point), the nation's largest scholarship- granting
organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
students of merit, announces the opening of its 2009 application
season starting December 12, 2008.

Students who will be enrolled in
undergraduate or graduate programs for the 2009-10 school year are
eligible to apply for the prestigious, multi-year scholarships. The
application deadline for this year's scholarships is February 9, 2009.

Point's rigorous selection process for its prestigious scholarships is
highly competitive and requires demonstrated academic excellence,
leadership skills, community involvement and financial need.
Particular attention is paid to students who have lost the financial
and social support of their families and/or communities as a result of
revealing their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender
expression. The selection process begins with on-line applications and
concludes with face-to-face interviews with selected finalists in
April. Point Regent and Selections Subcommittee Chair Shelley Fischel
comments, "The application and selection process is rigorous but
rewarding. To be part of this process is both a great honor and a
great responsibility. "

Current Point Scholars attend the nation's foremost higher educational
institutions such as Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Rice, UC-Berkeley,
UCLA and many other outstanding institutions.

On average, a Point Scholarship awards $13,200 in direct financial
support, in addition to the programmatic support Point provides in
leadership training and mentoring. The average amount of annual
support devoted to each scholar is between $26,000 - $31,000. Point's
multifaceted support for scholars extends far beyond their time in
school.

Point Scholars agree to maintain a high level of academic performance
and to give back to the LGBT community through the completion of an
individual community service project each year. In addition, scholars
are matched with mentors from the professional world through Point's
Mentoring Program; mentors lend their professional expertise and
career guidance and become important role models to scholars. The
Mentoring Program and Point's professional support network equip
scholars with skills to ensure a lifetime of leadership, success and
well-being.

Since its inception in 2001, Point Foundation has invested over $3
million in the education of outstanding LGBT students. The
organization' s growth over a short period of time is noteworthy. In
its first year, Point received 268 applications and granted eight
scholarships. In 2008, approximately 1,344 applications were submitted
and a record-breaking 27 students were granted scholarships. As of
October 2008, there are 90 Point Scholars currently enrolled in school
and 42 Point Alumni.

Executive Director & CEO Jorge Valencia noted that the need for
funding and mentorship among LGBT students is vast. "A great number of
LGBT youth in this country face enormous challenges simply because of
their sexual orientation and/or gender identity," Valencia said. "In a
recession we expect a significant increase in applications this year."

The Named Scholarship Program allows individuals, organizations,
foundations and corporations to provide substantial support to Point
Foundation by honoring the name of an individual or organization and
to demonstrate a public commitment to Point's vision of valuing
education, leadership and diversity.

A Named Scholarship is a commitment of $100,000 over four years. This
gift can be made as a one-time gift or through a commitment of four
consecutive $25,000 annual installments over four years.

The following corporations, individuals and supportive organizations
have partnered with Point to create the following Named Scholarships:
Jan Aronson, Norman Blachford, Thomas & Sara Branton, The Calamus
Foundation, Walter M. Decker, Elsie de Wolfe, Bob Fennell, Dr. Joan W.
Shelley Fernandez, Allan Gilmour & Eric Jirgens, David B. Goodstein,
Greg Grosh, Evelyn W. Harrison, HBO, Joanne Herman, Kevin Hummer,
Lawrence King/Jeffrey FashionCares, Bryan L. Knapp, Jonathan D. Lewis,
Minton-Spidell, Casey Sakir, Paul W. Speier, Time Warner, University
of Phoenix, and Wells Fargo.

"Time Warner is proud to be a corporate sponsor of Point Foundation
and it's critical programs," said Lisa Quiroz, Senior Vice
President/Corporate Responsibility for Time Warner. "Our commitment to
Point Foundation and the students it serves is reflective of our
belief that all young people deserve the opportunity to succeed and
their talents must be cultivated and nurtured. We hope that others
will join us in supporting the important work the Point Foundation is
doing to ensure the future of a new generation of leaders."

For more information regarding the Named Scholarship Program, please
contact Development Directors Jeff Mack at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or
Michael Marino at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

To schedule an interview with Jorge Valencia or a Point Scholar in
your area, please contact Communications & Marketing Manager Jerry J.
Sharell ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Hi-res photos are also available
upon request.

For additional information on Point Foundation, please visit:
http://www.pointfoundation.org.

For information on how to apply for a Point Scholarship, please visit:
http://www.pointfoundation.org/apply.html.

SOURCE Point Foundation

http://www.pointfoundation.org

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