The recipients of the Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation’s [5] 2017 Higher Education Scholarships, announced on June 8, include 27 current bookstore employees/owners and their dependents as well as former Borders Group employees and their dependents.

A total of $109,000 was awarded to help booksellers in 23 stores in 14 states, including two $10,000 scholarships, 24 scholarships of $3,500 each, and a $5,000 Karl Pohrt Memorial Scholarship, granted to an independent bookstore employee who is a nontraditional student or who has overcome learning adversity.

Providing financial assistance to help booksellers achieve their dreams is one of the most rewarding parts of maintaining the bookseller safety net, according to Binc Executive Director Pam French.

“Since 2001, Binc has helped ease the cost of a college education. Learning about the award winners, their achievements and aspirations, is inspiring,” said French.

Recipient Mykala Matheny of Viewpoint Books [6] in Columbus, Indiana, shared with Binc how her 2017 Higher Education Scholarship will help her achieve her goal of working in the film industry.

“I would not be able to pursue what I love to the extent to which I am without the support I’ve received through Binc,” said Matheny, a film and television major at DePaul University in Chicago. “You have enabled me to begin living the life I dreamed of in high school, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Morgan Bryan, a bookseller from Booktender’s Secret Garden [7] in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, also told Binc how truly grateful she was for the organization’s assistance.

“The support Binc has given me over the years empowers me to keep pursuing my dreams and working hard,” said Bryan, a human development major at Penn State University Park in University Park, Pennsylvania. “Thank you for all that you do!”

This year’s $10,000 scholarship winners are Evelyn Glenn, an undecided major at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, who is associated with Pioneer Book [8] in Provo, Utah; and Sarah Skinner, an English and psychology major at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, who is associated with Island Bookstore [9] in Duck, North Carolina.

The 2017 recipient of the $5,000 scholarship honoring the late Karl Pohrt, the founder and owner of Shaman Drum Bookshop and a former member of the Board of Directors of the American Booksellers Association, is Catherine Pollard, a psychology major at California Southern University in Irvine, California, who is associated with Copperfield’s Books [10] in Healdsburg, California.

Scholarships can be used for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and room and board. Funds may also be used over consecutive years if the student is not able to use the entire award for the 2017–2018 academic year.

Scholarship America [11] (Scholarship Management Services) conducted the third‐party academic selection process to evaluate this year’s 125 scholarship applicants. Selection criteria included financial need, prior academic achievement, and leadership capabilities (including participation in school and community activities), as well as work experience, a statement of career and educational goals, and extenuating personal or family circumstances.

See the complete list of Binc Foundation scholarship winners and their bios here [12]. Information about the 2018 Higher Education Scholarship application process will be released early in 2018.