Eligible students can now apply for the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarship for 2022. The one-year scholarship offers students $2,500 for the 2022-23 academic year.
The scholarship amount has increased by $500 this year, providing all recipients with $2,500. Another distinction for the 2022 scholarship is that all applications must be made online.
Current employees, their children and the children of company owners who are PFMA members can apply for the scholarship at PFMA.org/scholarships. All applications are due no later than March 1.
“Attaining a college degree can present many challenges. We hope that providing this scholarship will ease some of the financial challenges students may face so they can focus on their education. We’re thrilled to provide additional funding to recipients this year,” said Alex Baloga, president and CEO of PFMA. “We are especially grateful for the generous support from our partners, including The Giant Co., Karns Quality Foods, Rutter’s, Sheetz and Wawa.”
A panel of judges evaluates applications based on academic record, school and community involvement, a personal essay and recommendations from school and work.
In 2021, 22 students received a total of $45,000 through the program. Since its inception 25 years ago, 600 students have received the Ridge Scholarships, totaling nearly $1.2 million.
Named for the parents of former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, the Ridge Scholarship honors Thomas R. Ridge, who was a member of the food industry for 25 years, and his wife Laura, who was a great advocate of education for Tom Ridge, his brother David and sister Vikki.
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, a statewide trade association, advocates the views of nearly 800 convenience stores, supermarkets, independent grocers, wholesalers and consumer product vendors. PFMA members operate more than 4,000 stores and employ more than 250,000 Pennsylvanians. For more information, visit pfma.org.
