Scholarships
The purpose of our Scholarship Program is to provide financial assistance to qualifying Association Members who strive for job enhancement through education and training.
Scholarships
Scholarship Program
The focus of this program is to stimulate further development in the field of facilities management and to advance the purposes of the Association.
Scholarship Application
The Scholarship is available for persons employed full-time in a facilities profession for at least 12 months at a GAPPA member institution.
Joe White Scholarship
In 1989, the GAPPA board decided to honor Mr. White’s long and and valued service to the organization by providing The Joseph M. White Award.
Scholarship Program
The FOCUS of the Scholarship Program is to stimulate further development in the field of facilities management and to advance the purposes of the Association. The PURPOSE is to provide financial assistance to qualifying Association members who strive for job enhancement through education and training.
The GAPPA Board of Directors, based on recommendations from the Scholarship Committee, will select scholarship recipients. Scholarships will be awarded on an individual basis. (Both APPA and SRAPPA offer their own Institute scholarships – see regional criteria for scholarship application procedures).
The GAPPA Board of Directors will determine the number of scholarships to be awarded annually based on the availability of funds. GAPPA Scholarships are awarded in the amount of up to $3,000 annually, for four years, to cover the cost of tuition, books, and travel expenses, including lodging and meals, for attendance in the following:
A. Attendance at APPA Institute for Facilities Management
The scholarship award will be made for the applicant to attend all four phases of the Institute program. At least one phase should be attended annually.
B. Attendance at the APPA Leadership Academy
The scholarship award will be made for the applicant to attend all four levels of the Academy. At least one phase should be attended annually.
C. Attendance at a degree-track program from an accredited educational institution, job related vocational or technical training, certifications or licenses (i.e. HVAC, Pesticides, EPA, etc.), and for attendance at professional development seminars.
Individuals should complete the Application Form, collect the appropriate signatures, and submit as indicated on the form. The Board of Directors reviews scholarship applications at its quarterly meetings. Therefore, applications must be received before July 15, October 15, January 15 and April 15 each year to ensure consideration at the next board meeting. Applicants and their immediate supervisors will be notified when the application is approved.
Scholarship recipients should enroll in their first courses within one year of the award date. Recipients or their Institution will be responsible for all costs associated with the applicant’s coursework. Upon successful completion of each course, a Request for Reimbursement should be submitted to the GAPPA Scholarship Chairperson and should include copies of all expenses (tuition/registration, travel, lodging, meals, books) and a copy of completion certificates or grades. The Request for Reimbursement should indicate to whom the payment should be sent (individual or institution).
Scholarships that are not used within eight years will be rescinded.
As a scholarship recipient, you may be asked to present a discussion at the Annual Meeting or other GAPPA events.
Scholarship Committee Chair: Laura Gay, Middle Georgia State University, scholarship@gappa.org
GAPPA scholarships are typically awarded for attendance at three categories of education and training programs:
1.
Attendance at APPA’s Institute for Facilities Management. The scholarship award will be made for the applicant to attend all four phases of the Institute program. At least one phase should be attended annually. The sponsoring institution will be responsible for any expenses exceeding $3,000 annually. However, the scholarship committee may give special consideration to members who desire to attend consecutive phases of the Institute in an attempt to complete the program in two years. The scholarship amount will be for up to $3,000 for each phase of the program to cover tuition, travel expenses, lodging, and meals. Once the scholarship award has been made, the recipient should notify the scholarship committee chairman in advance of attending a phase to insure funding for reimbursement is available.
2.
Attendance at APPA’s Leadership Academy. The scholarship amount will be up to $3,000 to cover tuition, travel expenses, lodging, and meals. The sponsoring institution will be responsible for any expenses exceeding $3,000. The scholarship committee may give special consideration for additional annual amounts to members who desire to attend consecutive phases of the Institute in an attempt to expedite the completion of the program.
3.
Attendance at degree-track courses from accredited educational institutions, job related vocational or technical training, certifications or licenses (i.e. HVAC, EPA, Pesticides, etc.), and professional development seminars. The scholarship amount will be up to $3,000 annually until completion of the course of study to cover tuition, travel expenses, lodging, and meals. The sponsoring institution will be responsible for any expenses exceeding $3,000. The recipient should notify the scholarship committee chairman in advance of attending a second or subsequent year of study to insure funding for reimbursement is available.
Additional Requirements…
Individuals should complete the scholarship application form to include recommendations and signatures from their supervisor and the Director of Physical Plant at the sponsoring institution. Additional weight may be given to applications that are accompanied by letters from their supervisor explaining the benefits the training will bring to the institution Recommendations should be provided on institution letterhead and mailed to the chairman of the GAPPA scholarship committee.
The Scholarship Committee will review the applications with recommendations for award presented to the GAPPA Board. Applications should be submitted by July 15, October 15, January 15, and April 15 to insure consideration at the next quarterly GAPPA Board meeting. The sponsoring institution will be notified when the application is approved to allow recipients to register for the course. Recognition of the award will be made at the GAPPA annual meeting.
Scholarship recipients must enroll in the APPA Institute, APPA Leadership Academy, or other selected training within one year following notification that they were awarded the scholarship. Note: Recipient does not have to be in classes by that time, but should at least be enrolled to attend the training.
Recipients must enroll and successfully complete the selected training to qualify for the reimbursement. After the recipient has completed each phase of the training or the specific training course, a request for reimbursement should be submitted by the sponsoring institution to the GAPPA scholarship committee chairman. The request should include copies of tuition receipts, travel expense reports, and grade reports/completion certificates. The institution should indicate how the reimbursement check should be made payable: institution or individual.
Scholarship recipients will be asked to submit an essay report of their APPA Institute or Leadership Academy or other training experiences once they have completed the program. The recipient may be asked to present the essay at the GAPPA annual meeting.
CEFP Credentialing Program Reimbursement Procedures
To stimulate further development in the field of facilities management and to advance the purposes of the Association, GAPPA is committed to providing assistance to qualified applicants of member institutions.
Through APPA, qualified applicants may complete online course work to help prepare for the Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP) Credentialing Program.
Coupons are available through SRAPPA and must be applied prior to application of GAPPA reimbursement.
GAPPA will reimburse the applicant for the cost of their coursework, less any coupon or other scholarship that was applied, upon the successful completion of exam.
To ensure that the GAPPA Board is knowledgeable of all upcoming financial obligations, prior to their registration and participation in the Program, qualified applicants must notify the Scholarship Committee Chair with their intentions of beginning their coursework via email. Upon completion, applicant must submit a copy of their paid invoice for the coursework and proof of their exam passing. The Request for Reimbursement form should be used for the expense reimbursement request.
Scholarship Committee Chair:
Laura Gay: scholarship@gappa.org
Download the Request for Reimbursement Form Here
Joe White Award
Mr. Joe White began his career in higher education as the Resident Engineer Inspector for Macon Junior College in 1967. In 1968 he became the college’s first Director of Plant Operations and he remained in that position until his retirement in 1997 from what had then become Macon State College. Mr. White became a charter member of GAPPA in 1982 and the first GAPPA Treasurer. He served in this office for over 20 years. As one of the founders of GAPPA, he was instrumental in building the organization into the vibrant developmental resource for educational facilities professionals in Georgia. Even after his retirement in 1997, both he and his wife Katherine continued to actively support the association to insure its continuous growth and provide the critical training opportunities for its members.
In 1989, the GAPPA Board decided to honor Mr. White’s long and valued service to the organization by providing The Joseph M. White Award – a $1,000 grant presented to a Member Institution’s Facilities Department to be used at the discretion of that department’s management.
Mr. White passed away in May, 2010. He is missed and he will always be fondly remembered for his enormous contributions to GAPPA and its mission.
