Two Georgia Northwestern Technical College students were among a list of national students chosen to receive scholarships from the American Rental Association Foundation of Illinois and The Clifford H. "Ted" Rees, Jr. Scholarship Foundation located in Virginia.
According to Rental Management Magazine, Cartersville’s Lisa Matthews, who is enrolled in the accounting program, was one of three students in the nation who received an ARA Foundation Trade School Scholarship. Through the scholarship, Ms. Matthews’ entire tuition was paid for fall semester at Georgia Northwestern Technical.
Going back to college is fulfilling both personal and professional goals for Ms. Matthews. “Both of my parents are deceased. It has been a personal drive of mine to meet and exceed their expectations of me completing college,” she said. “On the professional side, having the ability to gain the knowledge and a degree will help our company save money in the long run.”
Once her classes at GNTC are complete, Ms. Matthews will be able to take on some of the responsibilities a certified public accountant conducts, she said.
“It’s inspirational that within the industry there is the ARA Foundation that supports continuing education, so people like me can stay in the industry and advance our careers. It is neat how it all works together,” she said to Rental Management Magazine.
According to Rental Management Magazine, the ARA Foundation has over $100,000 in 52 scholarships available to those studying in the equipment and event rental industry. Online applications are now being considered and can be found on the Foundation’s website. The deadline for scholarship application is March 2 for the 2020-21 school year.
Gaining his second scholarship in six months, George News, air conditioning technology program major, received a $2,000 scholarship from The Clifford H. "Ted" Rees, Jr. Scholarship Foundation, which is a part of the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute. According to Engineered Systems Magazine, Mr. News and his 48 fellow students, along with seven military veterans, received $85,500 collectively. The scholarship was awarded to students studying to become technicians in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration and water heating industries.
Sue Perez, program coordinator, Workforce Development at AHRI, said the foundation awards an average $120,000-$130,000 in scholarship money a year to around 80 applicants. The foundation will soon open its application for another round of scholarships which can be filled out online and need to be submitted by June, she said.
“All sorts of scholarships are available out there, but students need to do the research to tap into those funds,” Lauretta Hannon, director of Institutional Advancement at GNTC, said. “It would be well worth their time and effort.”
The GNTC Foundation offers scholarships each semester, and Ms. Hannon said students are encouraged to apply through AwardSpring. Learn more at
http://www.gntc.edu/community/foundation/scholarships/.
The application period for summer semester funding is March 2 to April 17. The GNTC Foundation plans to increase funding to students this year, but an application must be completed through AwardSpring to be considered for any of the scholarships. Ms. Hannon said she is hoping to see a record number of applicants this year.