ATLANTA - The Home Depot® announced that it has established its first-ever trade scholarship program. Through the program, the company will award more than 600 students enrolled in building and construction trade programs - including HVACR - $500 to help offset the cost of tuition, fees, books, and supplies. In total, the company said that more than $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded to support the building and construction industries this fall.

The Home Depot Trade Scholarship Program is open to students nationwide currently enrolled in a building and construction trade school program at a college, university, or accredited educational institution who will be entering into the final year or term of their degree or career program. Scholarship winners will be selected based on academic performance, leadership, and work experience. English and Spanish applications are available online at www.homedepot.com/tradescholarship. The application deadline is June 20, 2009. Winners will be announced in September 2009.

The company stated that professional contractors and tradespeople are important customers and it works to meet the needs of trade professionals through dedicated customer service programs, deeper inventory selections, job lot pricing, and more.

“The Home Depot has always been committed to its pro customers, and through this scholarship program, we are working to meet the needs of the next generation of building and construction trade professionals,” said Chris Waits, vice president of sales and services at The Home Depot. “We know that there are thousands of students at colleges and trade schools across the country who are preparing themselves for a career in this field. We recognize the hard work that it takes to complete these education programs, and we want to provide scholarship assistance to defray some of the cost.”

For more information or to apply for The Home Depot Trade Scholarship Program, visit www.homedepot.com/tradescholarship or call 877-743-5327.

Publication date: 05/04/2009