Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority Launches College Scholarship for Hospitality Majors at Temple University
Philadelphia, PA – The Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority (PCCA) is partnering with Temple University to fund a new scholarship program for undergraduate students seeking management degrees in hospitality at the university’s School of Sports, Tourism, and Hospitality Management (STHM). The new partnership – which includes a $200,000 endowment – represents a more than $300,000 commitment from the PCCA over the next four years to provide impactful scholarships for students pursuing degrees in hospitality management.
“We are thrilled to partner with Temple University to support the education of Philadelphia’s next generation of hospitality and tourism industry leaders,” said David A. Nasatir, Esq., Chair of the Board of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority. “The Center serves as a major driver of the region’s hospitality economy by attracting meeting, convention, trade show, and other event attendees from around the world, so partnering with Temple to help cultivate future leaders is a natural extension of our mission.”
“The School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management is truly humbled by this generous gift from the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority,” said Amy Giddings, Ph.D., Associate Dean & Professor at STHM. “STHM provides students with an immersive, industry-facing education for our students. Access to this education can often feel out of reach for our prospective students given the cost of a college education. The scholarships the PCCA is providing through this powerful gift will absolutely change lives. The scholarships amount to nearly a 50 percent annual tuition scholarship for students who are PA residents. Not only will our ‘PCCA Scholars’ receive this gift making a Temple University education possible, but they will also have priority access to internships with the PCCA, opening doors to new career opportunities.”
The PCCA has committed $302,000 in funding to support the new scholarship program for the next four years. That commitment includes a $200,000 endowment that will generate a permanent scholarship of $8,500 every year in perpetuity. The Center also is providing $102,000 in “termed” scholarships that will fund three annual $8,500 scholarships each year for the next four years. These termed scholarships are renewable after four years and the Center’s commitment can grow over time.
“Through this scholarship program, we hope to remove some of the financial barriers – and post-graduation debt – that could prevent students from pursuing a degree in hospitality,” said John J. McNichol, president and CEO of the PCCA. “Temple University’s School of Sports, Tourism and Hospitality Management is consistently ranked as one of the top of its kind in the country and we look forward to seeing the impact that our scholarship recipients have in the region’s hospitality and tourism sector.”
About the Pennsylvania Convention Center
The Pennsylvania Convention Center is located in Center City Philadelphia at the heart of the city's many cultural offerings and world-class dining and entertainment scene. Managed by Legends Global, the Center is the 14th largest facility in the nation and features one of the largest exhibit spaces and ballrooms in the Northeastern U.S. The meetings, conventions, trade shows, and other events hosted by the Center attract attendees from across the country and around the world to Philadelphia, making the facility the largest economic driver of the region’s hospitality industry.
For more information, visit www.paconvention.com.
Media Contacts:
Jude-Anne Spencer-Phillip
P: 215-418-4857
Pete Peterson
P: 215-990-8928
###