YMA Scholar Count Rises to 90

NEW YORK – The YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund will distribute $5,000 scholarship grants to 90 students from 23 different schools this year, the organization reported.

Seventy-four of the 90 will be for students in design, merchandising and other fashion disciplines, and 16 are earmarked for finance and business majors.

“We are pleased with our increasing number of grants to aspiring businessmen and women,” said Virginia Mainiero, vice president of intimate apparel at Macy’s Merchandising Group. “By no means are we diminishing our traditional support of fashion majors; we are simply acknowledging the importance of attracting talented young business people to our industry.”

Debra Malbin, president of Debra Malbin Associations and co-chair of the YMA’s scholarship/intern committee, said that 45 YMA scholars have secured internship positions for the summer.

“We are delighted to be able to present these excellent young people to a rapidly expanding group of industry leaders that has grown from five companies in 2006 to 45 companies this year.”

In addition to the $450,000 to be distributed by the YMA this year, the group has provided $5 million in financial assistant to more than 500 college students since 1971.