SPRINGFIELD, Mass., July 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) has awarded $155,000 in college scholarships to students across the country. The MassMutual Scholars program is a national scholarship program for eligible students interested in careers in the insurance and financial services industry. This year, MassMutual awarded $5,000 scholarships to 31 high-achieving college students to help them pursue their higher education dreams. Student applicants were evaluated on their academic performance, commitment to education, financial need, as well as a personal essay in which many shared poignant stories about their desires to achieve a degree and their need for assistance.

One of this year's recipients is Lilylynn Tran, a student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, HI -- majoring in Business and Entrepreneurship. One of her goals after college is to pursue a career in financial services where she can show people how to invest wisely and make their money work for them. Lilylynn's application touched on her challenges including paying for her tuition by working two jobs while attending school full-time. "Growing up I never thought college would be an opportunity granted to me because it would be a large financial burden to my family, but I wanted to give myself an education, therefore I continue to work hard to earn my degree," she said.

"Many of this year's MassMutual Scholars, like Lilylynn, have overcome great hardship and continue to strive toward earning their college degrees and creating a successful future for themselves," said Nick Fyntrilakis, Vice President of Community Responsibility at MassMutual. "Our congratulations to them all, and I hope these scholarships will help make it easier for them to attain their dreams."

The MassMutual Scholars program aims to increase college access to students nationally, as well as raise awareness of careers in financial services. It is one of many community-focused initiatives MassMutual provides as part of its nearly $11 million in charitable contributions annually.

To learn more about all of MassMutual's Scholarship programs and community responsibility initiatives visit www.massmutual.com/education.

About MassMutual
Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyowners. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyowners consistently since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities. In addition, the company's strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

For more information, visit www.massmutual.com or find MassMutual on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+ and Pinterest.

Contact:
Laura DeMars 
413-744-7181

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SOURCE MassMutual