AHLA Foundation Unveils 2-Year Scholarship Program

WASHINGTON—The American Hotel & Lodging Foundation (AHLA Foundation) has created a new scholarship program to partner with 10, 2-year hospitality programs around the country.

The new endeavor will provide $100,000 to students signing up for the 2021/2022 academic year. In addition, AHLAF is awarding another $1 million in scholarships to 310 bachelor and graduate degree hospitality students during the 2020/2021 academic year. Since its founding, the AHLA Foundation has distributed nearly $14 million in scholarship funds to promising hospitality management students across the nation.

The newly created 2-year hospitality scholarship program will provide meaningful support to deserving hospitality associate degree holders, particularly those who may not otherwise have access to an education. These scholarships will cover a substantial portion of students’ tuition and school costs for a year.

This announcement comes on the heels of a recently commissioned study by Emsi, a labor market analytics firm and affiliate of the Strada Education Network, that analyzed career pathways within the hotel industry and found that graduates with associate degrees are more likely to remain in the hospitality industry.

To pilot the program, the AHLA Foundation has partnered with the following 10 colleges: Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Collin College, City College of San Francisco, Frederick Community College, Greenville Technical College, Kirkwood Community College, Pima Community College, University of Arkansas— Pulaski Technical College, University of the District of Columbia, and Valencia College.

“During this difficult time for the industry, it is critical for AHLAF to support as many individuals as we can and fund their careers in this great industry,” said Rosanna Maietta, president, AHLA Foundation. “We know degree holders are more likely to stay in the hospitality industry, and many are already enrolled at 2-year colleges. That’s why launching this program right now is the right thing to do.”

Each year, the AHLA Foundation administers nine scholarship programs, which award scholarships valued up to $7,500, to students enrolled in hospitality-related bachelor or graduate degree programs at colleges and universities across the country. The Foundation received and evaluated more than 1,000 applications based on academics, financial need, relevant work experience, extracurricular activities, personal attributes and a passion to pursue a career in the hotel and lodging industry. This year’s 310 scholarship recipients represented 38 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nearly 45% of recipients are students of color and 75% of recipients are female.

“We congratulate all our beneficiaries and are so excited to help them in their pursuit of a career in the hospitality industry,” said Maietta.

The AHLA Foundation’s scholarships are funded due to generous support from individual donors and corporations. The AHLAF Annual Scholarship Grant Program, the foundation’s largest scholarship program, includes funds provided by the AHLAF General Campaign, AHLAF Hospitality 2000 Campaign, Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), AHLAF New Century Fund, the National Restaurant Association, Melinda Bush Mentors, John Clifford Memorial, Cecil B. Day Memorial, Handlery Hotels, Conrad N. Hilton Memorial, Creighton Holden Memorial, Hospitality Asset Managers Association, Steve Hymans Extended Stay Scholarship, Richard Kessler, J. Willard Marriott Memorial, Joseph McInerney Scholarship, Curtis C. Nelson and AHLAF’s Annual Giving Program.

Additional scholarship programs include: The Hyatt Hotels Fund for Minority Lodging Management Students; the Rama Scholarship for the American Dream Program; the American Express Scholarship Program; the Ecolab Scholarship Program; the Karl Mehlmann Scholarship; the Graduate Scholarship Program; the Arthur J. Packard Memorial Scholarship Program; the Stephen P. Holmes Scholarship; the Incoming Freshman Scholarship, which awards PepsiCo Foundation and ALIS Scholarships; and the Opening Doors to Opportunity Scholarship, which awards the Minaz Abji Scholarships.