DALLAS, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This year, Kimberly-Clark celebrates the 24^th year of the Bright Futures program and is awarding college scholarships totaling $1.18 million to 59 children of Kimberly-Clark employees across 13 states and Canada. Bright Futures scholarship grants are worth up to $20,000, or $5,000 per school year, for full-time students attending accredited colleges and universities. Since its inception, the program has awarded over $38 million in scholarships to more than 1,900 students.

Recipients were chosen based on academic achievement, leadership, work experience and involvement in extracurricular activities.

"Every year, our selection committee is very impressed with the scholarship applications we receive from the children of our employees," said Tom Falk, chairman and CEO of Kimberly-Clark. "We are pleased to be able to offer a program like Bright Futures to help them pursue higher education and achieve their dreams. There is no more important investment we can make than in our next generation of leaders."

The average GPA for this year's scholarship class is 3.88, and awardees will attend such top colleges and universities as Southern Methodist University, Cornell University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Notre Dame and Dartmouth College. Past scholarship recipients have gone on to pursue successful careers in medicine, education, the armed forces and engineering.

Click here for more information on this year's award recipients.

About the Kimberly-Clark Foundation
The Kimberly-Clark Foundation is the charitable arm of Kimberly-Clark Corporation and is dedicated to supporting and strengthening families around the world. For more information, visit http://www.kimberly-clark.com/ourcompany/community/kc_foundation.aspx.

About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Every day, nearly a quarter of the world's population trust Kimberly-Clark's brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene, and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in 80 countries. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the Company's 144-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

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SOURCE Kimberly-Clark