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The Parent and Family Association (PFA) of the University of North Georgia (Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û) will provide $40,000 in scholarships and resources to the university and its students for academic, recreational and service activities in 2017.

PFA plans to give $20,000 to the Center for Global Engagement to provide scholarships for students studying abroad and participating in modern language programs; $12,000 will go to the ROTC program to contribute towards scholarships offered by Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û's ROTC; $5,000 in scholarships will go to the Honors program; and $3,000 will be given to support students and resources for the cyber security program at Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û.

Rebecca Lore, the current president of the PFA and longtime member of its executive council, has been involved with the process of funding and providing scholarships for much of her time with the association.

"As a university, Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û has a variety of needs and providing scholarships is one of the many ways that the PFA can address them – we divide our funding based on the projected needs of the various programs and departments for the coming year. The number of scholarships and their amounts depend on donations and memberships to the PFA," Lore said.

In the past, the PFA has supported Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û’s first Russian language program visit as well as research scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students.

Since 2014, the PFA has kept true to its mission to support Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û and prepare its students for professional, civic and military leadership. The organization fosters relationships among parents, promotes communication between parents and the university, and supports university programs and goals, to enhance the college experience for students and their families.

To make the college experience as inclusive as possible for the more than the 1,200 families of students attending Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û, the PFA maintains two Facebook pages — one for cadet parents and one for the parents of traditional students — that function as forums where any concern from fixing a flat tire to transportation to the airport can be addressed.

"The Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û PFA is run by parents for parents," Lore said.  "The more we are able to see what Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û has to offer, the more we can combine needs with resources, and there’s no better feeling."

Pete Mistr, the previous PFA president who now acts as the official liaison between Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û and the PFA, said the organization, "completely changed my perception about Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û." Mistr is currently working with university leaders on one of the two food pantries developed for students, staff and faculty.

"This is a great opportunity to combine efforts with other organizations on campus. I now have the time to commit to finding these hidden gems of help and opportunity, and seeing how much Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û is willing to help these students in need reaffirms my belief that the PFA is a community family always looking to help," Mistr said.

To learn more about the Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û PFA, visit their website and blog at .