Robert S. Hekemian–Jr.–of Saddle River–NJ–reported that the Armenian Missionary Association of America has awarded a total of $170,650 in direct scholarship aid to 115 Armenian college and university students for the academic year 2000-2001. In addition–$153,000 was provided to various institutions of higher learning and charitable organizations for distribution as scholarship gran’s to needy and qualified Armenian university students.
Hekemian is the chairman of the AMAA Scholarship Committee–which allocates the awarding of the Association’s scholarships in the form of gran’s to deserving students. Each applicant’s documen’s are reviewed thoroughly by the eight-member committee–taking into account such factors as academic performance–financial need–character references and leadership potential. For the 2000-2001 academic year–the Committee reviewed a total of 140 applications.
Application for academic grant is open to all students of Armenian extraction attending an accredited college or university on a full-time basis. Application forms are available each years beginning in January–upon a written request by the applicant. The deadline for requesting Scholarship Application forms is April 15 and the closing date for applications is May 15 of each year. Once the applications are received–they are processed by the AMAA staff and given to the Scholarship Committee. After reviewing and discussing each application in detail–the Scholarship Committee considers–in light of how much scholarship money is available–which applicants merit financial aid and how much that aid should be.
The money for the AMAA’s College Scholarship Program comes from the income of endowment funds established by individuals and families concerned about the education of Armenian youth. There are currently about 60 such AMAA endowment funds–the major one being the Hekemian Family Trust–established by the late AMAA benefactor Samuel Hekemian and augmented over the years by his sons–Samuel and Robert Hekemian–Sr.–and Stephen Philibosian Fund.
AMAA’s total provision for scholarship aid to Armenian college and university students for the current 2000-2001 academic year was $323,650 – a sizable allocation to help in the higher education of Armenian students at home and abroad.