Rent-A-Center, Inc. (NASDAQ/NGS:RCII) today announced 60 U.S. high school and undergraduate students will share $60,000 in Rent-A-Center scholarships for distinguishing themselves academically and through civic engagement.

Having distributed $610,000 in scholarships since its establishment in 2004, Rent-A-Center’s Make A Difference scholarship provides 60 $1,000 awards annually to Rent-A-Center customers, their children, and the children of Rent-A-Center employees.

The scholarships come on the heels of a recent Gallup poll that found that college-funding worries are a top money concern for U.S. parents.

“Rent-A-Center has a long tradition of supporting education,” said Kenneth Jones, Rent-A-Center’s public affairs manager. “It’s gratifying to give back to the communities we serve and help offset tuition costs.”

Among other requirements, scholarship applicants must be pursuing their first undergraduate degree at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, vocational school or technical school in the United States or Puerto Rico.

A diverse group of students from across 12 states, this year’s awardees have a variety of academic focuses including engineering, business and psychology.

More information, including program guidelines and applications, can be found at https://www.scholarshipamerica.org/makeadifference/.

About Rent-A-Center:

A rent-to-own industry leader, Rent-A-Center is headquartered in Plano, Texas and operates more than 3,000 stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico. The Company employs over 20,000 coworkers. Learn more at www.rentacenter.com.