Tony Orlando Yellow Ribbon Scholarship

About the Tony Orlando Yellow Ribbon Scholarship

Each year, through the support of Tony Orlando, the ABA Foundation awards $2,500 to one scholarship winner who is a veteran of the U.S. or Canadian military, the child of a wounded U.S. or Canadian military veteran, or an individual with a physical or sensory disability.

Full Tony Orlando Yellow Ribbon scholarship criteria are as follows:

• Must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or Canada
• Must be enrolled and pursuing a degree as full-time undergraduate student in a travel, tourism or hospitality related program of study; or a full-time graduate student in a travel, tourism or hospitality related program of study, who can demonstrate a clear focus on and commitment to the tourism subject area; at a college or university in the United States or Canada.
• Eligible recipients must meet either a, b or c as described:
  • a. have a physical or sensory disability (as defined by the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act) or
  • b. is a child of a wounded U.S. or Canadian military veteran or
  • c. is a veteran of the U.S. or Canadian military.

• Must have attained an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale).
• The applicant must be a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student of a college, university, or professional training school in the fall of the upcoming year.
• Must submit a minimum of 150 word, 12 point, typed, essay on your life experience and if applicable your relationship with your qualifying family member.
• For the purposes of this scholarship the term “travel and tourism” related scholarship may be defined broadly to include but not limited to business, accounting, hospitality, engineering, cooking, and any other areas the selection Committee may feel falls  within the scope of “travel and tourism.”

Terms

Scholarship recipients must enroll as full-time undergraduates in the fall of the year in which the scholarships are awarded. The scholarships will be applied to educational expenses at any accredited, nonprofit college or university in the United States or Canada, or at a school that offers programs related to the travel or tourism industry. A student may transfer from one college to another and retain the award. 

There is a new competition for these awards each year. Scholarship winners may reapply each year. Winning a scholarship one year does not necessarily ensure that the recipient will win the following year, but preference is given to past winners.

Selection Process

As with all ABA Foundation Scholarship programs an impartial selection committee of educators is responsible for ranking and choosing the winner. Evaluators select winners based on program criteria along with their academic merit, extracurricular activities, and anticipated financial need. 

The program will open for applications starting the first Monday in January and close on the Friday of the first full week in April. All applicants are notified of the competition results by July 31.

Distribution of Funds

Winners are announced via online and printed publication and press release in July of the application year. Scholarship winners will receive formal acceptance packets that include marketing release forms and guidelines for funds distribution. 

Checks are mailed to each recipient’s home address and are be made payable to the college or university only. Checks are issued in August or September. Recipients must enroll as full-time undergraduates in the fall of the year in which the scholarships are awarded and continue in school for the entire academic year without interruption, barring illness, emergency, or military service. Scholarship recipients are responsible for making certain that their scholarship checks are delivered to the proper office at their college or university.

Who is Tony Orlando?

Michael Anthony “Tony” Orlando Cassavitis is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and actor whose career spans nearly 70 years. As one of the nation’s top entertainers, Tony has a deep appreciation for motorcoach travel and tourism. 

At just 15 he formed a doo-wop group, The Five Gents, which launched his career in the music industry. He is popularly known for his involvement in the groups Wind and Tony Orlando and Dawn, with dozens of Top 40 tracks and international chart topper “Candida.” 

Tony is a firm advocate for U.S. military veterans, and his song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” is a celebrated anthem for service members. He is also an honorary chairman of Gary Sinise Foundation Snowball Express, which serves the surviving children of fallen heroes. 

Tony extends his commitment to supporting U.S. military veterans through the Tony Orlando Yellow Ribbon Scholarship, which also benefits people with disabilities in honor of his sister with cerebral palsy, Rhonda Marie, who died at age 21.

The scholarship has awarded students in the motorcoach travel and tourism industries for 30 years.