RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC -- The Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) awarded total of 145 students $1,000 GAAS scholarships in 2005, pushing the awards to more than 1,000 students and more than $1 million in funding in its 10-year history.

“In our 10th anniversary year, GAAS had more than 700 students apply, a record number of applicants, and the quality of our applicants also was higher than ever,” said Peter Kornafel, chairman of the GAAS Scholarship Selection Committee. “These numbers demonstrate the importance of the program and are evidence why the industry is strongly encouraged to contribute even greater resources toward the program. Assuring our future begins today.

Of the 145 scholarships given this year, 18 were awarded to Canadian students.

The annual investment to help develop future aftermarket industry leaders is primarily funded through proceeds from the annual Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium. This two-day program brings together numerous industry executives and examines the issues and trends affecting the automotive aftermarket industry and influencing its future. GAAS has become the aftermarket’s premier educational conference. The 2006 event is set for Wednesday and Thursday, May 17-18, at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, MI. Details are at www.globalsymposium.org.

The scholarships are available to students in two-year technical college programs and vocational schools and four-year college programs. To be eligible for a GAAS scholarship, applicants must be enrolled full-time in a college-level program or a NATEF (National Automotive Technician Education Foundation) accredited automotive technical program. Graduate programs and part-time undergraduate programs do not qualify.

The GAAS scholarship also is unique in that recipients can receive two financial grants: one while in school to assist with tuition and an equivalent grant awarded to all scholarship recipients who graduate from their program and show proof of employment as a technician in the automotive aftermarket for at least six months after graduation.

GAAS Scholarship applications for 2006 will be available Thursday, Sept. 1 from the industry associations who sponsor GAAS. Applicants can also contact Jobie Dowd of MEMA at 919-549-4800 or jdowd@mema.org for applications.

For more information on the scholarship or to download an application form, applicants can also go to www.automotivescholarships.com. A separate application for Canadian students is available from the Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada at 613-728-5821, or at the organization’s Web site:www.aiacanada.com. Deadline for 2005 scholarship applications is Friday, March 31, 2006.

Additional funding comes from contributions. Contributions can be made to the GAAS Scholarship Fund, c/o Susan Medick at AAIA, at 301-654-6664, or susan.medick@aftermarket.org.

_______________________________________

Click here to view the rest of today's headlines.