PHILADELPHIA, March 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Dunkin' Donuts and its franchisees in the Greater Philadelphia region announced the eighth annual Dunkin' Donuts Philadelphia Regional Scholarship Program, which will award a total of $50,000 in scholarships to local high school seniors.

Up to 25 scholarships will be granted through the program, with each recipient receiving an award of $2,000 to pursue a full-time undergraduate degree at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school in Fall 2017. Recipients will be selected based on an evaluation of not only their academic records, but also on their demonstrated leadership, and commitment to their school and community.

"The local Dunkin' Donuts franchisees are committed to strengthening each one of our communities here in Greater Philadelphia," said Perry Shah, Dunkin' Donuts franchisee and Chairman of the Dunkin' Donuts Philadelphia Advertising Committee. "Since its inception, this program has awarded $250,000 in scholarships to ease the financial burden of college for deserving students in the region. We look forward to recognizing more outstanding students in our region this year."

Students who reside in Southeastern PA, Southern NJ, or Kent and New Castle Counties, DE, who are interested in applying for the program can apply online at www.dunkindonuts.com/scholarship. Online applications are available now and must be completed by April 17, 2017.

To apply for the Dunkin' Donuts Regional Scholarship Program, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Must be a high school senior who plans to enroll in a full‑time, undergraduate program at an accredited two‑year or four‑year college, university, or vocational-technical school in fall 2017.
• Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent).
• Must be residents of Kent or New Castle Counties in Delaware; Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer and Salem Counties in New Jersey; Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton or Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania.

The Dunkin' Donuts Philadelphia Regional Scholarship Program is managed by Scholarship America, the nation's largest designer and manager of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals. For more information on the program, visit www.dunkindonuts.com/scholarship.

About Dunkin' Donuts
Founded in 1950, Dunkin' Donuts is America's favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin' Donuts is a market leader in the hot regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin' Donuts has earned a No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for 11 years running. The company has more than 12,200 restaurants in 45 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin' Donuts is part of the Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

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SOURCE Dunkin' Donuts