NEW YORK, N.Y., January 29, 2009 – In its continued effort to support nonprofit organizations targeting young people, particularly in the areas of mentoring, safe places to learn and grow, and educational enhancement, New York Life Insurance Company announced a grant of $100,000 over two years to  Alaska Pacific University (APU).

“These scholarship funds, generously provided by New York Life, will allow many distinguished Alaskan students to attend the Early Honors Program who would not otherwise be able to afford it,” said Dr. Douglas M. North, president, Alaska Pacific University.  “This will benefit the entire Anchorage community because the extraordinary opportunity offered by Early Honors will now be more accessible to all.”

             “This is a wonderful opportunity for New York Life to support programs for students who might not otherwise be able to learn in a college setting,” said Chris Park, vice president of corporate responsibility, New York Life.

     The two-year, $100,000 grant made to APU will support their Early Honors Program, which helps gifted high school students complete their senior year of high school and freshman year of college simultaneously and even provides an opportunity for them to study abroad.  The 45 current participants come from throughout south central Alaska.  Sixteen percent of the students are ethnically diverse, and APU has set a goal to more than double that rate to 34 percent.  

   The New York Life Early Honors Scholarship Fund will help APU draw a larger number of high potential, low income/disadvantaged and ethnically and geographically diverse students, who will be called the New York Life Learners.  The Fund will provide four full scholarships, or a larger number of partial ones.

          New York Life Insurance Company, a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States and one of the largest life insurers in the world.  New York Life has the highest possible financial strength ratings from all four of the major credit rating agencies.  Headquartered in New York City, New York Life’s family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance.  New York Life Investment Management LLC provides institutional asset management, retirement plan and trust services.  Other New York Life affiliates provide an array of securities products and services, as well as institutional and retail mutual funds.

   Please visit New York Life’s Web site at www.newyorklife.com for more information.  For information about Alaska Pacific University visit www.alaskapacific.edu  

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