2020 scholarship recipient Ethan McKague encourages students and industry professionals to apply by May 28 deadline.
4/13/2021 10:30
When Ethan McKague, a student at Brigham Young University who received a $3,000 Loomer-Mortenson Scholarship last year, lost his job due to COVID-19 cutbacks having the financial support from the scholarship was critical.
“The scholarship was immensely helpful, particularly because of the crazy year we all ended up having,” McKague said. “In April 2020, I lost my job because of COVID-19 cutbacks. The loss of a reliable source of income put quite a bit of financial stress on me. The scholarship provided a much-needed respite from that stress until I could find another job. Instead of stressing out about money, I was able to focus on my education.”
McKague was one of 35 distinguished students who received a Loomer-Mortenson Scholarship in 2020 from the ACA International Education Foundation.
The Education Foundation Board knew the Loomer-Mortenson Scholarships, with support from ACA’s Collectors Challenge Month fundraisers, were more important than ever because of the financial impacts families and students faced due to COVID-19.
McKague is studying computer science at Brigham Young University and his parent is employed at Ontario Systems LLC in Vancouver, Washington.
“I think it’s safe to assume that I’m not the only college student who worries about how to pay for school,” McKague said. “I would absolutely recommend that any student in that situation apply for this scholarship.”
These scholarships are designed to help individuals connected to the collection industry and their children further their education at post-secondary colleges, universities, community or technical colleges.
Applications for the 2021 scholarships are open until May 28 and are available through the Loomer-Mortenson Scholarship program website. Applications are also posted on the ACA Mobile Resource Center. ACA Mobile is available by simply downloading the app on your iOS or Android device. ACA also offers a Loomer-Mortenson Scholarship flyer for members to share electronically or in their offices.
This year, the foundation is offering 35 Loomer-Mortenson Scholarships totaling $50,000:
- One first place award for $10,000.
- One second place award for $5,000,
- One third place award for $3,000.
- 32 fourth place awards for $1,000 each.
ACA encourages members, company managers and state unit leaders to share the Loomer-Mortenson Scholarship opportunity with their staff and colleagues. Please help publicize this message through websites, newsletters, social media or internal email updates and postings in your office.
Applying for a Scholarship
Scholarship applicants must be a current employee or child of an employee at a company affiliated with the credit and collection industry.
Winners will be selected based on their cumulative grade-point average and a written submission of a two- to three-page essay on the value of consumer credit to our nation’s economy. This may be either a creative story or persuasive essay.
Applications can be emailed to [email protected] by May 14 or mailed and postmarked by May 28 to:
ACA International Education Foundation
Loomer-Mortenson Scholarship Program
3200 Courthouse Ln.
Eagan, MN 55121-1585
For more detailed application instructions and additional information on the program, see the Loomer-Mortenson Scholarship website. Contact the ACA International Education Foundation with further questions through Member Services at 800-269-1607 or email [email protected].
