High school seniors, listen up! What do Jimmie Johnson and college scholarships have to do with each other? Answer: they’re both sponsored by Lowe’s!!

The Daytona 500 is one of the most important races for NASCAR each year. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the race, which happens to be the first race of the year for NASCAR and will take place on February 17, 2008. Various companies sponsor certain drivers. One of those companies is Lowe’s.

Lowe’s is more than just your hardware store and sponsor of NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson. It’ll also provide you with some much-needed cash for college. Let’s check out some stats:

WHO: High school seniors and college students who are enrolled in or plan to enroll at an accredited two- or four-year college or university.

WHAT: Lowe’s scholarships will be awarded in May 2008 to those applicants that have demonstrated a commitment to service, leadership, and academics. There will be 352 winners of $1,000 scholarships across the United States, 22 individuals to be granted a $5,000 regional scholarship, and one grand prize winner of a $15,000 school scholarship.

WHEN: The Lowe’s Scholarship program, funded by the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation, runs its contest from January 1, 2008 – March 15, 2008.

WHERE: Check out http://www.lowes.com/scholarships for the most up-to-date info about applying.

WHY: Scholarship searches are most important when applying to colleges. That’s because it’s free money that you won’t have to pay back. But you will definitely have to work in order to get it. So check out the Lowe’s Scholarship (as part of your college search) before it races away!!

-Amanda Fornecker