The YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund announced five new member schools  increasing membership from 28 to 33 schools.  The newly joined schools include Brandeis University, New York University – Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Texas A&M University, University of Delaware and University of Virginia.

The national non-profit association, made up of influential members of the fashion community, grants scholarships of $5,000 and $25,000 and facilitates internships and mentorships for students interested in all aspects of the fashion industry.  Students can now apply for those prestigious scholarships.

“It has been the mission of the FSF to continue to select those institutions that provide our organization the ability to identify, cultivate and recruit the best talent into our industry,” said Ken Wyse, FSF President and President of Licensing and Public Relations at Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation.

“We feel that with the addition of these five schools, we’ve enhanced our goal, and we look forward to working with them to better the future of the fashion industry.”

Every year, the FSF reviews the potential member schools based on curriculum, geographic location and most importantly, reputation. Weighing the schools against this criteria results in a discerning selection process, only allowing a handful of new schools to join each year.

Having a fashion program or offering fashion-related classes is not a factor when choosing a member school, which allows for such a geographically and educationally diverse roster of member schools.

The FSF awards scholars from both design and non-design disciplines such as merchandising, marketing, finance and business. In doing so, this supports all job fields that contribute to the success of the fashion industry.