Six university students who reside in the Tri-State area have received National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Scholarships. The students are Giovanni Iaboni of Bethany, Ct., Jade Bonacolta of Upper Saddle River, N.J., Angela Capranzano of Glendale, N.Y., Daniel Graziano of Amawalk, N.Y., Paul Lindseth of New York, N.Y., and Samuel Pellegrino Connors of Baldwin, N.Y.

"NIAF has awarded millions of dollars in merit-based scholarships and cultural grants across the country since its inception. NIAF's leadership is extremely proud of the high caliber of our scholarship students and their outstanding achievements," said NIAF President and COO John M. Viola.

NIAF celebrates its 39th anniversary this year. The Foundation's scholarship program has grown from four scholarships of $250 each to dozens of annual scholarships ranging in value from $2,000 to $10,000 each in the humanities, medicine, engineering, business, music, Italian language and culture, and other specialized fields.

NIAF scholarship winners are selected based on academic merit and are academically outstanding with an average GPA of 3.95. The average scholarship in the United States was more than $3,000.

In addition to NIAF's scholarship program, this year NIAF sent college students to Italy's Calabria Region to participate in the Ambassador Peter F. Secchia Voyage of Discovery program, an educational and cultural initiative.

Contributors to the NIAF scholarship program include individuals, corporations and organizations across the United States.

Apply online for a 2014-2015 NIAF scholarship at www.niaf.org/scholarships. Application deadline is March 1, 2014. NIAF scholarship winners will be announced on May 16, 2014 online.

For more information on establishing a NIAF scholarship, contact Gabriella Mileti at [email protected].