TO: Members of the Georgia Association of Housing and Redevelopment Authorities
RE: 2019 Scholarship Program
DATE: January 13, 2020

The GAHRA Scholarship Committee is privileged to announce that this year GAHRA will be awarding up to $37,500 in scholarship funds to graduating high school seniors and adult students of GAHRA member agencies.

For high school students, GAHRA will fund academic scholarships for programs leading to an undergraduate degree as well as vocational/technical scholarships. In addition, SERC/NAHRO will fund two academic scholarships. For adult students, GAHRA will fund academic scholarships and vocational/technical scholarships.

Please identify your prospective candidates and inform them of this opportunity immediately. The enclosed eligibility and application materials are separated into two packets – one for high school students and one for adult students. Please copy and distribute to your candidates as needed. Your authority should solicit as many students as possible to determine your authority’s applicants. Only one academic and one vocational/technical application per authority may be submitted to the Scholarship Committee for the High School Student Scholarships. Similarly, only one academic and one vocational/technical application per authority may be submitted to the Scholarship Committee for the Adult Student Scholarships. Therefore, the maximum number of total submissions for any authority/agency would be four, one only in each of the four categories.

Completed high school and adult student applications should be received at your authority in time for you to screen and rank them before submitting your top candidates to GAHRA for consideration. As a GAHRA member, you may set your own deadline for the applications to be returned to you.  However, your authority’s nomination(s) must then be submitted to the appropriate GAHRA Scholarship Committee no later than March 20, 2020

High School Student Applications

Completed High School Student applications should be submitted to Danita Wiggins, Albany Housing Authority, P.O. Box 485, Albany, GA 31702.  A hard copy AND an electronic copy of the application is required.  Electronic copies should be submitted to:  dwiggins@albanyha.com

Adult Student Applications
Completed Adult Student applications should be submitted to Brenda Smith, Dublin Housing Authority, 500 W. Mary Street, Dublin, GA 31021.  A hard copy AND an electronic copy of the application is required.  Electronic copies should be submitted to: dhousing@bellsouth.net

All applicants and sponsoring housing authorities will be notified of selection or non-selection for a personal interview around mid-April. Scholarship awards will be announced on May 18, 2020, following interviews with the finalists at the GAHRA Spring Conference to be held in Jekyll Island, Georgia.

Authorities submitting applications to GAHRA are requested to publicize their winner(s) in the local media. They are also encouraged to seek local scholarships both to supplement this program and to highlight education as a means of success for our residents.

Thank you for participating in the 2020 Scholarship Program!

Danita Wiggins, Chair                                             Brenda Smith, Vice Chair
Scholarship Committee                                          Scholarship Committee