RHCDA

We Build Strong and Healthy Neighborhoods

RHCDA Announces CDC Capacity Building Scholarship Program PDF Print E-mail
Monday, 14 July 2008 00:00
You work full-time for a St. Louis area CDC, so you know something about real estate development and management. Like most CDC staff, you want to learn more. This is your chance.

Working in collaboration with several area financial institutions, RHCDA is offering two CDC Capacity Building Scholarships to key St. Louis CDC staff members who want to enroll in the Real Estate and Community Development Program (RECD) at Saint Louis University's School of Professional Studies.

This is an intensive six-course program that meets one evening per week on the Saint Louis University campus. If you take two classes per semester, you can complete the program in two years! Program courses include Real Estate Roles in the Public Sector, Real Estate Law, Real Estate Finance, Appraisal, and Introduction to GIS.

RHCDA will award a maximum of $8,100 to each of two possible scholarship recipients who enroll in the RECD program based on 2008-2009 tuition of $10,800 for the full six-course program. The scholarship will pay up to $1,350 per class until the program is complete.

You can visit www.rhcda.com/Capacity/CDCScholarship.html for the full, detailed description of the Scholarship program.

Deadlines:

We'll start accepting applications on July 14, 2008, and applications are due by July 31, 2008.

The Process:

The application process is fairly simple. If you work full-time for a St. Louis area CDC, you qualify. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Apply for enrollment in the RECD program in Saint Louis University's School of Professional Studies. To be accepted, applicants must be at least 22 years old, with at least 3 years (or equivalent) work experience, a high school diploma (or composite GED score of at least 225), and a minimum transfer cumulative GPA of 2.0. The full application is available here: http://www.slu.edu/x10981.xml

2. Apply for the RHCDA CDC Capacity Building Scholarship. You can find the full, detailed explanation of the RHCDA CDC Capacity Building Scholarship Program and a downloadable copy of the application at www.rhcda.com/Capacity/CDCScholarship.html. You can also email or call Rick Bonasch, RHCDA Director of Technical Assistance, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (314) 333-7007 to obtain the two-page application or ask for more information about the Scholarship program.

3. If possible, seek financial support from your CDC employer in the form of employer-funded tuition assistance. To build program partnerships within the community, preference will be given to applicants whose employers pay a portion of tuition cost.

If You're Selected:

If you're selected as a scholarship recipient when the awards are announced on August 18, 2008, you should celebrate! All we ask is that you make us proud (maintain a "B" or 3.0 grade average for all course classes) and that you remain employed at a St. Louis area CDC for a period of five years following the date of the award.

If you have any questions, just email or call Rich Bonasch, RHCDA Director of Technical Assistance, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (314) 333-7007.

Good luck!

The RHCDA Scholar program is sponsored by our CDC Capacity Building and Collaborative Grant Program, which is made possible through the generous support of Bank of America, CitiGroup, Commerce Bank, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., First Bank, M&I Foundation, National City, and UMB Bank, n.a.

 

RHCDA is Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance, a nonprofit organization that creates and supports the alliances that make smart, sustainable neighborhood revitalization possible in the St. Louis region.

"Since our first partnership with RHCDA helped us create the Lillian Park development of mixed-income quality housing, crime in that neighborhood has declined by more than 50% and residents feel like they can sit on their front porches again.  It feels like a community.  And even though that partnership was initiated some years ago, RHCDA is still very much engaged in that neighborhood, helping us to serve our residents and keep them involved." 

- Toni Cousins, Executive Director, Riverview-West Florissant Development Corporation