LATROBE, Pa., June 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kennametal Foundation today announced the winners of the 2012 Kennametal Foundation Scholarships.  Each winner is provided a $2,000 award renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study that can be used at any accredited U.S. college or university of the student's choice. 

"I congratulate the talented recipients and wish them continued success in their academic careers. I am pleased that Kennametal, through its Foundation, is able to offer this competitive scholarship program - now in our 27th year - to the children of our U.S. employees," said Kennametal Chairman, President and CEO Carlos Cardoso.  "Globally, the Foundation provides grants for scholarships in technical training, material sciences and business disciplines to selected institutions through its Technology Education Network program. These Kennametal Foundation programs demonstrate our belief in the future of manufacturing and our commitment to being the employer of choice for the best people."

The Kennametal Foundation is pleased to partner with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in administering this program.  The Kennametal Scholarship applications are reviewed by an impartial group from The National Merit Scholarship Corporation that reviews an applicant's academic record, qualities of leadership, extracurricular activities, PSAT scores and school recommendations.  Established in 1955, the National Merit Scholarship is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance.  The majority of National Merit Scholarships offered each year are underwritten by some 500 independent corporate and college sponsors that support National Merit Scholarship Corporation's efforts to honor the nation's scholastic talent and encourage academic excellence at all levels of education.

Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers seeking peak performance in demanding environments by providing innovative custom and standard wear-resistant solutions. This proven productivity is enabled through our advanced materials sciences and application knowledge. Our commitment to a sustainable environment provides additional value to our customers. Companies operating in everything from airframes to coal mining, from engines to oil wells and from turbochargers to construction recognize Kennametal for extraordinary contributions to their value chains. In fiscal year 2011, customers bought approximately $2.4 billion of Kennametal products and services – delivered by approximately 12,000 talented employees doing business in more than 60 countries – with more than 50 percent of these revenues coming from outside North America. Visit us at www.kennametal.com.

SOURCE Kennametal Inc.