Ann Arbor, MI—Applications are currently being accepted and will be accepted through March 11th, 2020 for the Binc Foundation’s annual higher education scholarship program. The 2020 scholarship program supports booksellers and comic retailers’ dependents, spouses, and partners in pursuing their higher education goals. Binc will again this year award seven (7) $3,500 scholarships to the dependents of booksellers or comic retailers and one (1) Karl Pohrt Tribute Scholarship award of $5,000 will be granted to an owner or employee of a physical bookstore who has overcome a learning adversity or is a nontraditional student.
Binc’s Scholarship Program seeks to make a lasting impact in the lives of bookstore employees, comic retailers, and former Borders Group employees by offering scholarships to their dependents and spouses/partners based on financial need, academic performance, and community involvement. These scholarships can help make a college education more affordable for families. Scholarships are offered for full or part-time study at an accredited institution of the student’s choice.
The program will again be administered by Scholarship America, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship, tuition assistance, and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. The evaluation process will utilize selection criteria including financial need, prior academic achievement and leadership capabilities, as well as work experience, a statement of career and educational goals and objectives, and unusual personal or family circumstances.
Binc Executive Director, Pam French, commented, “Every year we look forward to launching our scholarship program. Helping booksellers’ families achieve their educational goals is one of the many ways Binc supports booksellers and comic retailers. I encourage all booksellers who are the parents or guardians of students who are pursuing higher education, to apply.”
Since 2001, the Binc Foundation has supported the educational goals of over 688 students, awarding $1.9 million dollars in higher education scholarships. Now in its nineteenth year, the scholarship program continues to focus on making a positive impact in the lives of bookstore and comic book store employees and their families.
Interested students can find out more details and apply at https://www.scholarsapply.org/binc. Applications must be completed by March 11th, 2019.
In addition to the Higher Education scholarship program, bookstore owners and employees wishing to expand their education – and stay in the industry – may apply for a variety of Professional Development Scholarships. Applications are currently being accepted for the Denver Publishing Institute and applications will open later this year for the third annual Carla Gray Memorial Scholarship for Emerging BooksellerActivists and the Indies with Impact: A Penguin Random House-Binc community engagement project award.