Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF), a nonprofit founded to recognize and encourage scholastic excellence and academic performance among promotional products industry employees and their children, recently announced 122 winners of $125,000 in academic scholarships. PPEF is commemorating its 25th anniversary by awarding an additional $25,000 in scholarship awards in 2014. PPEF has awarded more than $1.2 million in financial assistance to more than 770 recipients since 1989.
Scholarships were awarded to outstanding promotional products industry employees or their children, 96 new and 26 renewals, who displayed remarkable academic achievement, extracurricular participation and community service. Each will be awarded between $1,000 and $5,000 to support their college educations.
“So many great kids from our industry have the opportunity to apply for the PPEF scholarship, and our only disappointment is that we can’t offer scholarships to all the deserving students,” said Kippie Helzel, MAS, PPEF Chair. “Having increased our scholarship awards by $25,000 this year, we are proud to have been able to award the highest number of scholarships ever in one year. That is a GREAT source of pride not only to the PPEF Board, but to all the sustaining donors, sponsors, supporters and friends of PPEF.”
Funded by Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) and donations from the promotional products industry, the scholarship program enables youth and professionals to continue their education on a collegiate level. PPAI and industry patrons have a long-standing commitment of service to the promotional products industry and this fund supports those who demonstrate the same commitment.
PPEF Scholarships are presented in the following categories:
Four-Year College Scholarship for Academic Excellence and Achievement—($4,000, awarded $1,000 annually for four years)
This scholarship is available to promotional products industry employees or their dependents entering a four-year accredited college or university as a freshman in the fall of 2013. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to apply. Scholarships are renewable for the four years of college, provided that the student meets the minimum GPA requirement and current employment in the promotional products industry is maintained by the student or parent.
Chairman’s College Scholarship—($5,000, awarded $2,500 annually for two years)
This scholarship is available to promotional products industry employees or their dependents entering their junior year of college, actively pursuing a bachelor’s degree in an academic field related to promotional products and expressing a clear intent to enter the promotional products industry after graduation. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to apply. Scholarships are renewable for the junior and senior years of college, provided that the student meets the minimum GPA requirement and current employment in the promotional products industry is maintained by the student or parent.
Friends of PPMN Scholarship—($1,000, nonrenewable)
This scholarship will be awarded to a full-time industry employee for undergraduate or graduate level coursework at an accredited college or university.
One-Year College Scholarship—($1,000, nonrenewable)
This scholarship is available to promotional products industry employees or their dependents attending a two-year or four-year accredited undergraduate college or university. Students must take at least six credit hours per semester and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to apply.
Named Scholarship—($1,000, nonrenewable)
Named for various icons of the promotional products industry, these scholarships are available to promotional products industry employees or their dependents attending a two-year or four-year accredited undergraduate college or university. Students must take at least six credit hours per semester and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to apply. Current named scholarships honor Vincent J. Arena, Castelli North America, Eugene P. Cesario, Glen Holt, Helen & Al Mackler and Joseph Alexander, George C. Matteson, Jr., Janelle Nevins, H. Ted Olson, PPAChicago, Sam Rosenblum, Marvin Spike, H.D. Joe Stratton and Three Rivers Advertising Specialty Association.
To learn more about applying for the 2015 scholarships, applicants are invited to log on to www.ppef.us and click on the application forms. The application deadline for 2015 is March 16, 2015. Please direct questions to Sara Besly at [email protected].
For more information, visit www.ppai.org.
