(AUSTIN, TEXAS) For the last nine years, Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing (TAAHP) has provided nearly $250,000 in scholarship funding to students seeking a higher education. Students living in affordable housing communities owned by TAAHP members are eligible. TAAHP’s scholarship program was created to help some of the most vulnerable students in the state pursue a higher level of education as a pathway to self-sustainability and success.
For the third year in a row, TAAHP is pleased to have awarded over $55,000 in scholarships to students living in affordable housing communities across Texas. Thanks to several generous donations by TAAHP members, TAAHP continues its goal of helping to support the future of Texans who need the additional leg up to meet their full potential and lift themselves and future generations out of poverty.
The 2023 scholarship recipients include:
- Myat May $7,500
- Fawaz Ibikunle $6,500
- Nichole Hou $6,500
- Marisa Ensworth $6,500
- Shermya Parker $5,000
- Jessica de la Fuente $5,000
- Jeremy Pierce $5,000
- Mason Trujillo $3,000
- Natasia Cooper $2,000
- Anairis Rizo $3,000
- Michael Trujillo $3,000
- Johnny Warren $2,000
- Jonathan Roark $2,000
“TAAHP has come a long way in its efforts to provide students living in affordable housing with the funds necessary for them to achieve their higher education goals,” says TAAHP Executive Director Roger Arriaga. “Not only is it rewarding to see them succeed, the scholarship program and the TAAHP Foundation help the organization fulfill its mission. When new generations are offered the opportunity to improve their station in life, they can lift themselves and the generations that follow them out of poverty — and this helps our economy and our state in the long run,” says Arriaga.
“These students are an inspiration and a reminder to us all of why we are here and why the work we do for affordable housing is so very important,” says TAAHP 2023-2024 President, Valerie Williams. As one of the founders of the TAAHP Scholarship program, Ms. Williams is passionate about doing more for the residents living in the affordable housing communities TAAHP members build and serve. While the program took many years to get off the ground, the passion and perseverance of Williams and the TAAHP board have made all the difference.
Scholarship applicants are scored on a rigorous 100-point scale. Scoring categories include grade point average, writing skills, participation in extracurricular activities, recommendations from instructors and mentors, and other factors such as their respective school, workload, family obligations, and career objectives.
The 2023 scholarships were announced and presented during the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers’ 2023 Texas Housing Conference. The next application period will open in the Spring of 2024, and selected recipients will be announced at the 2024 Texas Housing Conference next July.
About the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers (TAAHP)
The Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers (TAAHP) is a non-profit trade association serving affordable housing industry providers. TAAHP works to increase the supply and quality of affordable housing for Texans with limited incomes and special needs. Founded in 1997, TAAHP is considered the “Voice of Affordable Housing in Texas,” and represents housing industry professionals involved in the financing, design, development, and management of affordable housing communities in Texas through public/private partnerships. TAAHP members produce tens of thousands of award-winning affordable housing communities with state-of-the-art designs, amenities, and resident services. For more information, visit www.taahp.org.