The Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada has announced that its scholarship program is now a part of the AIA High Fives for Kids Foundation activities.

“For more than 30 years, the scholarship program has offered hundreds of thousands of dollars to support students pursuing careers in the automotive aftermarket. While making a meaningful difference in the lives of the recipients, the program also helped shape the future of the sector,” says Jean François Champagne, President of AIA Canada.

The Foundation plans to establish a new scholarship under this new funding structure. Children of AIA Canada members will be able to pursue their education, even outside the automotive field, with the assistance they receive through this scholarship.

Five grants of $1000 will be given to successful candidates under the new AIA Canada High Fives for Kids Scholarship. Children of full-time employees of the association’s member companies are eligible to apply for the scholarship. Details regarding the selection criteria and application deadline are available online. Academic achievement, skill, extracurricular involvement, and special abilities are some of the considerations in the selection criteria.

“Through the High Fives for Kids Foundation, AIA Canada’s members raise thousands of dollars for children’s charities all across the country,” says Luciana Nechita, Executive Director of the Foundation. “This scholarship is a way for us to give back to our members whose hard work makes the Foundation a success.”

The Foundation also administers three other scholarship programs besides this new scholarship:

• The University of the Aftermarket Foundation Scholarship Program
• Arthur Paulin Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship Program
• Divisions’ Scholarship Program

“We’re proud to be offering these scholarship opportunities,” says Ray Proulx, KYB America, the Foundation Board Chair. “Our mandate at the Foundation is to give children and youth opportunities for a better life. Education is one of the best ways to help provide these positive outcomes.”