NAHMA Educational Foundation 2021 Scholarship Application Now Available Online

The NAHMA Educational Foundation kicked off the scholarship season by releasing the 2021 scholarship application on Jan. 15, 2021. This will be the 15th consecutive year that the foundation will be making scholarships available to worthy student residents.

“The NAHMA Educational Foundation Board of Directors is so very appreciative of the continuing generosity of our many donors during these difficult times. Their support will allow the foundation to continue making $2,500 individual awards in 2021. So please encourage your residents to apply for a scholarship this year,” NAHMA Educational Foundation Chairperson, Alice Fletcher, said when the application was released in January. In 2020, the foundation awarded 108 scholarships worth a total of $270,000.

Applicants can access the application by going to https://nahma.communityforce.com or visiting www.nahma.org and clicking on the Educational Foundation icon. The application is digital and must be filed online. The deadline for completed applications is May 15, at 10 p.m. Eastern time.

The criteria for a completed application and the selection criteria remain the same as they have been for the past several years. Eligibility for the program requires that an applicant be a resident in good standing at an AHMA/NAHMA affiliated apartment community and be either a high school senior with a minimum grade point average of 2.5, a general equivalency diploma holder or a matriculated student with a minimum grade point average of 2.3 at an accredited college or trade/technical school. Applications from students in graduate-level programs will not be accepted.

The required application components include an application form, two references, an essay, and a certification of residency in good standing form. Additionally, a grade transcript—due to COVID-19 considerations, an unofficial grade transcript will be acceptable—showing grades through the fall 2020 semester and is the only component submitted to the foundation via U.S. mail. All of the other required forms are provided within the web-based software; hence, no hard copies are needed.

The foundation urges you to promote the scholarship program and how to access the application to your residents. Please encourage them to get started on completing an application. More than enough time remains between now and the May 15 deadline for a resident to submit a completed application. Last year, nearly 80% of applicants filing a completed application received a scholarship. It is time well spent for any eligible good student to apply.

The NAHMA Scholarship Program has established a proud legacy of providing financial assistance to student residents attending post-secondary school. Help the foundation help your residents by making them aware of this terrific program!

Renee Reithel