Purpose
The Alabama Grocers Association (AGA) has always had strong interest in supporting education and has established the scholarship program because it achieves a number of desirable objectives. It helps deserving students with college expenses, it relieves parents of college expenses, and the colleges the winners attend benefit indirectly by receiving the scholarship funds. This way, it helps everyone involved.
Who is Eligible?
High School Senior, College Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors who are:
- Sons and daughters of full-time employees of firms which are members of AGA. The employee must have been employed for at least 2 years as of January 1 of the year in which the scholarships are awarded. Parents must be employed with the AGA member firm at the time the scholarship checks are awarded to remain eligible.
- Part-time student employees of firms that are members of AGA. The student must have worked an average of 15 hours a week for at least 6 months as of January 1 of the year in which the scholarships are awarded. Students must be employed with the AGA member firm at the time the scholarship checks are awarded to remain eligible.
Both types of awards may be used at any accredited non-profit college or university in the United States. Recipients may transfer from one college to another and retain the awards. Winners of these scholarships may reapply in subsequent years if they or their parents continue to be employed by an AGA member firm.
Responsibilities and Recipients
Scholarship recipients must enroll as full-time college students in the fall of the year in which the scholarships are awarded and continue in school for the entire academic year without interruption, barring illness, emergency or military service. Scholarship recipients are responsible for making certain that their scholarship checks are delivered to the colleges.
Program Administration
To assure complete impartiality in the selection of winners and to maintain a high level of professionalism in dealing with students, parents, high schools and colleges; the Alabama Grocers Scholarship Program is managed by the Alabama Grocers Education Foundation. Selection of scholarship winners is made by Dr. Glenn Richey, Auburn University.
Alabama Grocers Education Foundation Scholarships
The Alabama Grocers Education Foundation will award Parent Employee Scholarships and Student Employee Scholarships for the 2023 Academic Year. For the children of full-time employees, the scholarships are grants of $1,000. For part-time employees who are full-time students, the scholarships are grants of $750. There are also several Endowed Scholarships and Piggyback Scholarship available through the Alabama Grocers Education Foundation.
Endowed Scholarships
James L. Smotherman Memorial Scholarship – $1,000 Available to any parent application.
Alan J. Frankel Memorial Scholarship – $1,000 Available to any parent or student application that is an employee of Gregerson’s Foods, Inc.
Jimmy Allison Memorial Scholarship – $1,000 Available to any parent or student application that is a member of the Alabama Wholesale Distributors Association.
Mary G. Hardin Memorial Scholarship – $1,000 Available to any parent or student application.
Mary Lee Hardin Memorial Scholarship – $1,000 Available to any parent or student application.
Jack Mitchell Memorial Scholarship – $1,000 Available to any parent or student of Mitchell Grocery Corporation.
Piggyback Scholarships
Associated Grocers of the South – Two $1,000 Scholarships awarded to any parent or student application that is an employee of Associated Grocers of the South.
Autry Greer & Son’s – Three $500 Scholarships awarded to any parent or student application that is an employee of Autry Greer & Son’s.
Bill Ragland Memorial Scholarships – Four $1,000 Scholarships awarded to any parent or student application that is an employee of Ragland Brothers Retail Companies.
Gateway Foods – Two $500 Scholarships awarded to any parent or student application that is an employee of Gateway Foods.
John E. Wilson Memorial Scholarship – Four $500 Scholarships awarded to any parent or student application that is an employee of Super Foods Supermarkets.
Langley, Inc. – Two $750 Scholarship awarded to any parent or student application that is an employee of Langley, Inc.
Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Company – One $750 Scholarships awarded to any parent or student application that is an employee of Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Company. **Scholarship is based on money collected from mulligans at the PWADC golf outing each year.
Piggly Wiggly of Red Bay – Four $750 Scholarships awarded to any parent or student application that is an employee of Piggly Wiggly of Red Bay.
Our 2024 application period is closed. Winners for the 2024/2025 scholarships will be announced in April.
Our 2025 application period will open on November 1, 2024.