Financial aid available to further your education!

Thinking about an automotive aftermarket career? Good choice! With more than 250 million vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, Servicing or supplying parts for them can be a rewarding career. The automotive aftermarket is an excellent career choice. For example, trained professional automotive technicians are in high demand. They can earn excellent starting salaries.

Today's technicians must have knowledge and skills in electrical/electronic systems, computers, diagnostic processes, and much more. There are many excellent vocational schools. ASE, using standards from NATEF -- the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation, certifies automotive training schools. NATEF is part of ASE -- the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. ASE has certified more than 2,000 automotive schools. A full listing is available on the NATEF website.  Any ASE/NATEF post-secondary school is acceptable for the KIAWA  Scholarship.

An automotive scholarship can help pave the way. Here's some information about the scholarship the Kentucky-Indiana Automotive Wholesalers Association offers.

George W. Wilson III and KIAWA Scholarship

Named in honor of the first president of KIAWA who served from 1959-1994, the George W. Wilson III and KIAWA Scholarship financially assists those persons wishing to continue their education beyond the secondary level. 

Priority is given to three categories of applicants:

  • Students planning to become technicians in automotive, collision, or heavy duty fields.
  • Students planning to work for any automotive aftermarket company.
  • Students who are sons and daughters of families employed in the automotive aftermarket.

Qualifications

If you meet the qualifications below and submit a complete online application, you will be considered by KIAWA for this scholarship. To be eligible for this scholarship, an applicant must:

  • Be a resident of Kentucky or Indiana.
  • Either be a graduating high school senior or have graduated from high school within the past two years. (An exception to the two-year requirement will be made for military or religious service.)
  • Be enrolled or planning to enroll as a full-time undergraduate student in a college-level program or an ASE/NATEF certified post secondary automotive technical program. NATEF sets standards for automotive education program, and ASE certifies schools, which meet these standards. See http://www.natef.org/ for a list of certified programs.
  • Submit a school reference form from their current school official (principal, counselor, or registrar).
  • Submit two letters of recommendation from non-family members. Only one may be from your church or minister. Best recommendations come from people associated with the automotive aftermarket industry.

Typically, one scholarship of up to $1,000 for Kentucky and one scholarship of up to $1,000 for Indiana are awarded each academic year. The funds will be paid directly to the attended school upon proof of satisfactory enrollment.

Apply online

To apply for this scholarship visit the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) website, http://automotivescholarships.com.  The process is simple -- and online -- so there's no paper forms to complete. And once you apply, you are automatically are considered for other GAAS scholarships for which you qualify.

For more information, contact:
KIAWA
PO Box 68
Dublin, OH 43017-0068
Phone: 614-889-1309
Fax: 614-889-0463