YOUNGSTOWN - The Knights of Columbus Youngstown have established a $100,000 scholarship for students attending Youngstown State University.

One student with a minimum 3.0 GPA from each class rank, including freshman, sophomore, junior and senior, will be eligible for the scholarship, which is awarded each academic year.

Additionally, the student must be a member of a Catholic parish in Mahoning County or a member of a religious order to be eligible. Preference is given to students of a current or deceased family member of the Knights of Columbus.

The scholarship recipients will be chosen by both the Knights of Columbus' scholarship committee and the YSU Foundation.

"Our Knights of Columbus Council is very much about our community, especially our younger people and their future," said Dustin Tolson, the Grand Knight of Youngstown. "Just being able to give back to community members by helping them grow and move forward in their lives is very important to us."

Knights of Columbus is the world's biggest Catholic men's fraternal organization, bringing financial aid and assistance to members of their respective communities and their families.

Founded in 1897, the Knights of Columbus Youngstown Council #274 was the first Knights of Columbus Council established in Ohio.