Staff Report

One of the largest providers of academic scholarships in Virginia, the Tidewater Builders Association, is accepting applications from high school students.

Since 1965, the TBA Scholarship Foundation has contributed more than $1.1 million to 310 local students. Doctors, lawyers, bankers, research scientists and even an actor have received TBA scholarships to pursue their dreams.

TBA’s scholarship program is two-pronged:

nAcademic scholarships are awarded to high school seniors based on academic excellence, community service and financial need. They can be used to pursue higher education in any field.

nThe Young Designers’ Scholarship Competition awards monetary prizes to students interested in careers within the home building industry. The grants can be applied to a four-year institution or a technical or trade school.

Applicants for either scholarship must live in Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Southampton

County, Suffolk, Virginia Beach or the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Applicants in the Young Designers’ Scholarship Competition must be enrolled in an approved drafting or industrial arts program in high school.

Those eligible for TBA’s academic scholarships:

nMust be a high school senior

nMust be academically qualified

nMust have a need for monetary assistance

nShould include involvement in the community service

nShould include SAT scores, although eligibility is not based on this factor

The deadline to apply for the TBA academic scholarships is Friday, March 25. The deadline for the Young Designers’ competition is Monday, April 25. Applications are available online at www.tbaonline.org, through local high school guidance counselors or by calling TBA at (757) 420-2434.

Tidewater Builders Associ-ation is a nonprofit trade organization, founded in 1953 to maintain high standards in the shelter industry, and to serve the professional needs of its 1,200-plus member firms in South Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

TBA also offers consumer information. Go to www.tbaonline.org