RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Online applications are now being accepted for 2009 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) scholarships, awarded to students planning automotive aftermarket careers. The application process is now entirely electronic through the GAAS scholarship Web site, www.automotivescholarships.com.
The deadline to apply is Monday, March 31, 2009.
The scholarships are available to students in two-year technical college programs and vocational schools as well as four-year college programs. To receive 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 is unique in that technician recipients can receive two financial grants: one while in school to assist with tuition and an equivalent grant awarded to scholarship recipients who graduate from their program and show proof of post-graduation employment as a technician in the automotive aftermarket for at least six months.
By completing a single online application at the GAAS Web site, students will be considered for GAAS scholarships, plus scholarships from a number of industry partners.
In 2008, a total of 150 students were awarded 170 scholarships by the GAAS scholarship fund, its contributors and other groups collaborating with GAAS. Individual scholarships ranged from $250 to $2,000, and, in total, more than $165,000 was awarded. In its 14-year history, the fund has presented more than $1.4 million in awards to approximately 1,400 students.
One-hundred-and-fifteen GAAS scholarships were awarded in 2008, including 10 awards received by students from Canada. The annual investment to develop future automotive aftermarket industry leaders is funded through proceeds from the annual Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium. Additional funding comes from:
• Art Fisher Memorial Scholarship Fund
• Automotive Communications Council Scholarships (ACC)
• ASC Industries Inc.
• ASE/Michael Busch Memorial Scholarships
• Breslow Foundation Scholarships
• Leadership Development Network of AAIA (LDN)
• R.L. Polk & Co.
• Udell Family Charitable Foundation
• University of the Aftermarket Foundation
• Zurich
An additional 55 scholarships were awarded by the following organizations:
• AAACT – Automotive Aftermarket Association of the Carolinas and Tennessee (regional association for residents of North and South Carolina and Tennessee)
• AAAS – Automotive Aftermarket Association Southeast (regional association for residents of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi)
• ADS – Association of Diesel Specialists
• APSA – Automotive Parts & Services Association (regional association for residents of Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming)
• APSA of IL – Automotive Parts and Service Association of Illinois (regional association for residents of Illinois)
• CAWA – California/Arizona/Nevada Automotive Wholesaler’s Association (regional association for residents of Arizona, California and Nevada)
• OVAAA – Ohio Valley Automotive Aftermarket Association (regional association for residents of Ohio and West Virginia)
Additional scholarship funding comes from industry contributions from individuals, companies and foundations. Contributions can be made to the GAAS Scholarship Fund, c/o Susan Medick at AAIA, at 301-654-6664, or [email protected].
