Miller-Keystone Blood Center has announced changes to its Blood Donor Recruitment Scholarship for the 2014-15 school year.

"It has never been easier to help a student earn scholarship monies towards their post-secondary education," said Scott Appnel, manager of Mobile Recruitment.

"For the 2014-15 school year, by simply hosting one or more blood drives with Miller-Keystone Blood Center and achieving certain recruitment benchmarks, a student from every high school in our community can be guaranteed a Scholarship award."

According to Appnel, scholarships will now be awarded per school based on the results of the individual schools' blood drives during the school year.

"A census number for each school will be established based on the approximate number of eligible student donors," Appnel explains. "Scholarships will be awarded based on the unit level achieved: schools collecting 30 percent of their census will receive a $300 scholarship award, those collecting 40 percent of their census will receive a $400 scholarship award, and those achieving 50 percent or more of their census will receive a $500 scholarship award."

Appnel confirmed schools must collect a minimum of 50 units for the year to be eligible for a scholarships award, and must collect a minimum of 75 units for the year to qualify for the $500 award.

"For schools who may need a little extra assistance, or smaller schools who are concerned about achieving the benchmarks, our experienced Donor Resources Representatives are ready to help you reach your goal," adds Appnel, noting it may be as simple as adding an additional blood drive during the school year, or adjusting the dates/times of blood drives to accommodate donors from the local community.

Forty percent of the population is eligible to donate blood, but only 5 percent of those eligible donate on a regular basis.

As the population ages and medical technology advances, the demand for blood products will outpace the supply, which means that the future health of our community depends on educating our youth today on the importance of blood donation.

For more information on the Blood Donor Recruitment Scholarship Award, or to arrange for a blood drive at a high school, contact the Donor Resources Department at 800-223-6667 or visit giveapint.org/community/scholarship-information.html.