At a glance
Two $3,000 scholarships will be awarded for the 2011-12 academic year to help provide more qualified, well-trained technicians to meet the labor needs of the growing propane industry, particularly in upstate New York.
The New York Propane Gas Association (NYPGA) is pleased to announce a gift of $6,000 to Alfred State College that will establish the John Ganey Memorial Scholarships for students enrolled full-time in the air conditioning and heating technology program at Alfred State College.
Two $3,000 scholarships will be awarded for the 2011-12 academic year to help provide more qualified, well-trained technicians to meet the labor needs of the growing propane industry, particularly in upstate New York.
Recipients will be full-time students who demonstrate financial need, having completed at least 24 credits at the end of their spring semester, and having a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.50. Eligible students will be identified by Alfred State faculty who will select award recipients, with preference given to those interested in propane technology. Students who maintain enrollment in the program may renew the scholarship for their final semester.
Approved as an alternative clean fuel by both the National Energy Policy Act of 1992 and the Clean Air Act of 1990, propane is currently in use in nearly five million households in the U.S. for heating. That number is growing nationwide and especially in New York State, according to NYPGA. Propane gives off minimal emissions when burned and is not harmful in the ground or waterways.
“I am delighted that The New York Propane Gas Association will be funding two scholarships as Alfred State continues to lead the way in training the technicians of the future. Once again, it confirms that Alfred State’s project learning philosophy works when it comes to our graduates’ hitting the ground running,” said Dr. John M. Anderson, president, Alfred State College.
“The New York Propane Gas Association Scholarship at Alfred State represents one of many awards that we are establishing at community colleges to train new technicians in the safe storage, handling and use of propane so they can join hundreds of industry personnel educated under the industry’s extensive training programs throughout the country,” said Joseph Porco, president of the association. He credited the industry’s Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) for funding that provides each state with rebates based on its use of propane and its contribution to PERC. “More funding will be forthcoming if New York approves a similar program known as Empire PERC,” Porco continued.
For more information on the value and safe uses of propane, visit www.nypropane.com and www.usepropane.com.