OSWEGO – Two St. Lawrence County students have received $17,600 Presidential Scholarships to attend SUNY Oswego,

Keith D. Gallucci of Heuvelton and Timothy C. Bowman of Willow Street in Richville received the merit scholarships.

The awards recognize students' past academic achievements and potential for success, college officials say.

Outstanding first-year students entering Oswego are offered $17,600 Presidential Scholarships ($4,400 a year for up to four years), $5,000 Deans' Awards ($1,250 a year for up to four years) or $2,000 Merit Awards ($500 a year for up to four years).

First-year students who have completed the strongest academic programs with the highest grade averages and standardized test scores are invited to become Presidential Scholars. This year, students receiving the $17,600 scholarships have average high school grade averages of 94 and average SAT scores of 1240.

The awards are part of more than $2.5 million in merit scholarship money offered at SUNY Oswego. These funds are in addition to the more than $66 million in need-based grants, loans and work-study awards that SUNY Oswego students receive annually.

U.S. News named SUNY Oswego among the "Top Public Regional Universities in the North" for 2011, and the Princeton Review includes Oswego in its college guidebook "The Best Northeastern Colleges."

A 150-year-old comprehensive college in the State University of New York system, Oswego enrolls over 8,000 students in its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; School of Business; School of Communication, Media and the Arts; and School of Education.