Scholarship Application Deadline Extended For Students Pursuing Aftermarket Careers

Research Triangle Park, N.C., February 28, 2002 - Students planning to pursue automotive aftermarket careers after graduation now have a little more time to apply for financial assistance with their education from the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) scholarship. The application deadline has been extended to Friday, March 29.

A total of 132 students received the GAAS scholarship in 2001. Twenty Canadian students, representing 15 schools in nine provinces, were a strong segment of the record scholarship recipients. GAAS has awarded nearly 400 scholarships since 1996 and approximately $500,000 in aid.

The scholarships are available to students in two-year technical college programs and vocational schools and four-year college programs. In order to be eligible for a GAAS scholarship, applicants must be enrolled full-time in a college-level program or a National Automotive Technician Education Foundation (NATEF) accredited automotive technical program in the United States or Canada. Graduate programs and part-time undergraduate programs do not qualify.

The GAAS scholarship is also unique in that recipients can receive two financial grants: one while in school to assist with tuition and an equivalent, matching grant for recipients who graduate from their program and show proof of employment in the automotive aftermarket for at least six months after graduation.

Scholarship applications are available from the eight industry associations who sponsor GAAS. Applicants can also contact the University of the Aftermarket at 816-523-8118 for applications. For more information on the scholarship or to download an application form, applicants can also go to www.automotivescholarships.com. A separate application for Canadian students is available from the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA) at 613-728-5821, or at the organization’s Web site: www.aiacanada.com.

GAAS is the automotive aftermarket’s only educational event where all the net proceeds are used to fund scholarships for undergraduate and vocational technical students preparing for industry careers. This annual two-day program brings together numerous industry executives and examines the issues and trends affecting the automotive aftermarket industry and influencing its future. The 2002 Symposium will be held Thursday, May 16, and Friday, May 17, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago, Ill.

The GAAS program is a joint professional education effort of the Alliance of State Automotive Aftermarket Associations (ASAAA), Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada, Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association (APRA), Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), Tire Association of North America (TANA) and University of the Aftermarket.