Minority Hospitality Students Receive Scholarships

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF), the not-for-profit affiliate of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), is awarding 265 scholarships totaling almost $400,000 this year—of which approximately 42 percent will go to minority hospitality management students. Of its 10 scholarship programs, two are dedicated specifically for minority students.

The Hyatt Hotels Fund for Minority Lodging Management Students awarded $22,000 in scholarships to 11 minority hospitality management students. Since its inception in 1988, this program has awarded 275 students with $2,000 scholarships totaling $550,000.

JHM Hotels awarded 20 scholarships totaling $26,000 through the Rama Scholarship for the American Dream Program. The fund, established with a $1,000,001 endowment on the 25th anniversary of the Rama brothers’ first hotel purchase, provides the financial support to help others create their own “American Dream.” To date the fund has awarded $543,000 in scholarships to 328 recipients.

Scholarships are awarded based on academic performance, hospitality work experience, financial need, and other requirements based on specific criteria of the scholarship. Last year, AH&LEF gave almost $800,000 to prepare promising college students for a career in hospitality.
“Both scholarships address the need to ensure a strong and diverse lodging workforce,” said Joori Jeon, CPA, CAE, AH&LEF president and COO.

For more information about AH&LEF scholarships and other programs, contact Christa Boatman, manager of foundation programs, at (202) 289-3139 or cboatman@ahlef.org, or visit www.ahlef.org.