The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association has opened applications for the 2026 Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarship.
The program provides one year, $2,500 awards to support PFMA member employees and their families as they pursue higher education during the 2026-27 academic year.
The Ridge Scholarship honors Thomas R. and Laura Ridge, parents of former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. Thomas R. Ridge spent 25 years in the Pennsylvania food industry, while Laura Ridge was a strong advocate for education.
Applicants must meet one of the following criteria. They must have worked for at least one year as of Jan. 1 for a PFMA member company and remain employed. They may also qualify as the child or stepchild of a PFMA member employee, or as the child or stepchild of a PFMA member store owner. All applicants must be full-time college students.
An independent judging panel will review submissions based on academic achievement, character, leadership potential and commitment to community service. All application materials must be submitted online by March 2. Applicants will be notified by June 5.
Full details, previous winners and the online application are available at pfma.org/scholarships.
About PFMA
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, a statewide trade organization, advocates the views of more than 600 convenience stores, supermarkets, independent grocers, wholesalers and consumer product vendors.
PFMA members operate more than 3,000 stores and employ more than 350,000 Pennsylvanians. For more information on PFMA, visit pfma.org.
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