The John R. Oishei Foundation is pleased to announce the availability of full tuition scholarships for incoming high school freshmen at area independent secondary schools for the fall of 2018.

Oishei high school scholarships are awarded to talented, dedicated students of color in the Western New York area who want to attend one of 15 participating high schools that are members of the Education Collaborative of WNY (EdCo).

The highly competitive, selective scholarship offers an educational opportunity to 15 local students of color each year and is intended to make a positive difference in the perception, attitudes and lives of the students, their families and the academic institutions themselves.

Oishei's high school tuition support has funded nearly 300 scholarships to date and now invests over $800,000 per year, totaling approximately $10 million since 1998.

Any student interested in being considered for an Oishei scholarship must first complete the application process required by their first-choice EdCo-member school. Each school will forward its scholarship nominations to an independent scholarship selection committee which will announce its decisions in the spring of 2018.

Placement exams for the various independent secondary schools are scheduled to take place this fall/winter. For application information, students should contact the director of admissions at his or her first-choice participating EdCo-member school. Member schools include: Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School, Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart, Buffalo Seminary, Canisius High School, Cardinal O'Hara High School, Mount Mercy Academy, Mount St. Mary Academy, Nardin Academy, Niagara Catholic High School, Nichols School, The Park School of Buffalo, St. Francis High School, St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, St. Mary's High School and The Gow School.

Funding for the scholarships is provided by The John R. Oishei Foundation, a private charitable foundation that enhances the economic vitality and quality of life for the Buffalo-Niagara region through grantmaking, leadership and network building.

The foundation was established in 1940 by John R. Oishei, founder of Trico Products Corporation, one of the world's leading manufacturers of windshield wipers.

More information on the Oishei High School Scholarship Program may be found at www.edcowny.org.