During a program update at AAPEX, the University of the Aftermarket Foundation Scholarship Fund announced it awarded a record of $481,350 in scholarships across all donor organizations for this year.
In 2017, UAF received 592 scholarship applications from the U.S. and 30 from Canada. It awarded a total of 344 scholarships.
UAF has 20 collaborative organizations that utilize the UAF scholarship process to find multiple scholarship matches from a single application. Five students received three awards from one application, while 50 received two awards from one application.
UAF awarded five $5,000 awards and others ranging from $1,000 to $2,500. Women in Auto Care awarded the largest award at $10,000 to Antoinette Jackson, who is attending Suffolk County Community College in New York to study automotive technology.
According to UAF, 69% of its scholarships were awarded to students training to be technicians in automotive mechanical, collision or heavy duty/diesel fields of study.
“We are trying to build the network for the aftermarket with funds for students who want to be techs,” said Pete Kornafel, chairman of the scholarship and education committee.
In addition, the UAF has strengthened its commitment to veterans and awarded 30 scholarships to U.S. veterans in 2017.
UAF also discussed the transition of the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS). At the end of 2016, GAAS completed transferring its remaining net assets to the UAF Scholarship fund.
Applications for 2018 University of the Aftermarket Foundation Scholarship Fund are being accepted now through March 3, 2018, at automotivescholarships.com.
