Officials at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse have expanded the qualification criteria of the nonprofit agency’s annual Foundation scholarships.
GCASA Chief Executive Officer John Bennett has announced that four $1,000 scholarships will be awarded in May to students enrolled in schools or colleges located in Genesee and Orleans counties.
“The major change is that now students enrolled in a Genesee County or Orleans County school can apply for the scholarship even if their primary residence is in a different county,” Bennett said. “Previously, the scholarship eligibility stipulated that the high school students had to live in Genesee or Orleans.”
While one scholarship will go to a student in Genesee and another to a student in Orleans, the other two scholarships will go to a technical/trade school student and an adult student pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s degree who will be attending college in the fall of this year.
Bennett said the GCASA Foundation was established to support the work of GCASA and other human service agencies who are working to improve community health.
“The board of directors of both GCASA and GCASA Foundation are committed to providing quality services,” he added. “Educated, skilled employees and board members are the necessary ingredients for effective service delivery systems in the behavioral health field.”
Applications are available on the GCASA website – www.gcasa.org – or can be obtained by contacting Diane Klos at Diane Klos at 585-815-1883 or dklos@gcasa.org. Completed applications must be received via email or postmarked by 3/10/2023.
Other pertinent scholarship information is as follows:
• Applicant must be accepted at an accredited college or university and enrolled in or matriculated in an eligible program/major.
• Eligible programs or majors include: Social Work, Nursing, Health Science, Mental Health Counseling, Psychology, or Human Services.
• Current GCASA employees, board members and GCASA Foundation board members are NOT eligible.
• Relatives of GCASA employees, board members and GCASA Foundation board members ARE eligible.
• Applicant must provide academic history such as high school and/or college transcripts.
• Applicant must provide two letters of recommendation from someone who knows the applicant’s work/volunteer/academic history. Letters from relatives will not be accepted.
• Applicant must provide a resume or personal biography including work history, volunteer experiences, and extra-curricular activities.
• Applicant must provide an essay that addresses educational and employment objectives as they relate to the mission of GCASA. Financial need, volunteerism, employment history and civic involvement will be given careful consideration.
• The scholarship recipient will be announced at GCASA’s annual membership meeting in May 2023 upon verification of acceptance into an accredited college or university.
• The scholarship monies will be awarded upon completion of the fall semester. The award recipient must provide a copy of their transcript demonstrating at least a 2.0 GPA.
• Applicant may be invited for an interview before final awards are made.
