Building Momentum One Student At A Time The Promotional Products Educational Foundation has given millions of dollars in scholarships to families in the branded merch industry. Meet this year’s class of recipients. By Jonny Auping The branded merchandise industry will always need a future. Through the Promotional Products Educational Foundation, PPAI, its Board of Directors and the PPEF Board prioritize the futures of families across our community. Since 1989, PPEF has awarded more than $4 million in scholarships to students related to the industry. That’s more than just taking care of families. It’s a further investment in branded merch. While they can use their scholarships to study any field of their choosing, perhaps some will decide to enter our industry. Beyond that, PPEF serves as a form of visibility for branded merch with young people heading to college. Whether their university’s marketing programs emphasize it as an advertising medium in the same way they might for digital marketing, PPEF scholars understand the footprint of branded merch. Each recipient is a member of the promotional products family: A few are industry employees, but the vast majority are children of those who work for distributors, suppliers, business service companies or multi-line representatives. The 2026 PPEF scholars were mailed their scholarship checks over the summer in advance of the academic year. For four-year and one-year scholarships, PPEF’s policy is to award 60% of scholarships based on need and 40% on merit. Merit-based scholars receive $1,250, and need-based scholars receive $2,250 payments. PPEF scholarship awards are determined through a competitive application process. Each applicant must be a full-time branded merchandise industry employee or the dependent child of an industry employee. They must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and meet the deadline of March 15 at midnight Pacific time. Those being considered for needbased scholarships must also submit a copy of the Student Aid Report that a student receives after filing with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The online application for the 2027-2028 school year is open now and can be found at ppef.us/college-scholarships. • NOVEMBER 2026 • 35 PPEF Scholarships 2027 | Must Read
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