Applications are now being accepted online for the 2010 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) scholarship, awarded to students planning automotive aftermarket careers. The application process is now entirely electronic through the GAAS scholarship Web site. 

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 31, 2010.

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

The GAAS scholarship is unique in that technician recipients can receive two financial grants: one while in school to assist with tuition and an equivalent grant awarded to scholarship recipients who graduate from their program and show proof of post-graduation employment as a technician in the automotive aftermarket for at least six months.
 
By completing a single online application at the GAAS Web site, students will be considered for GAAS scholarships, plus scholarships from a number of industry partners.

In 2009, a total of 75 students – 68 in the United States and seven in Canada – were awarded scholarships by the GAAS scholarship fund, its contributors and other groups collaborating with GAAS. Individual scholarships ranged from $250 to $2,000. A second round of donations in July was made possible by donations of more than $10,000 at GAAS 2009. In its 14-year history, the fund has presented more than $1.4 million in awards to approximately 1,400 students.

The GAAS scholarships are funded through proceeds from the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium. This year’s scholarships include those funded through the donations and grants from:
• AAIA Leadership Development Network
• Michael Busch Memorial Fund
• Art Fisher Memorial Scholarship Fund
• Peter and Lorraine Kornafel
• Multi-Parts Supply
• RL Polk
• Kathleen Schmatz
• Udell Family Foundation
• University of the Aftermarket Foundation
• Zurich

Collaborative efforts with state associations and other automotive groups include:
• Automotive Aftermarket Association of the Carolinas and Tennessee (AAACT)
• Automotive Aftermarket Association Southeast (AAAS)
• Association of Diesel Specialists (ADS)
• Automotive Parts & Services Association (APSA)
• Automotive Parts and Service Association of Illinois (APSA of IL)
• Arizona/California/Nevada Automotive Wholesaler’s Association (CAWA)
• Kentucky / Indiana Automotive Wholesalers Association (KIAWA)
• New York State Automotive Aftermarket Association (NYSAAA)
• Ohio Valley Automotive Aftermarket Association (OVAAA)

Each of these other collaborating groups has their own criteria and selects their own recipients for their scholarships.

Additional scholarship funding comes from industry contributions from individuals, companies and foundations.

The annual two-day Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium brings together industry leaders and experts to examine the issues and trends affecting the automotive aftermarket and influencing its future. The 2010 event is set for Tuesday and Wednesday, May 18-19, 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 Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada, Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association (APRA), Automotive Service Association (ASA), Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), Motorist Assurance Program (MAP), Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), Tire Industry Association (TIA) and University of the Aftermarket.