MEMBERSHIP

AAED Scholarship Fund

Scholarship Background

The Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) Scholarship Program is designed to assist those pursuing professional development opportunities within AAED. This assistance promotes and ensures a continuation of the high level of skill, talent, and professionalism valued by every member. It is incumbent on AAED and our members to lend a helping hand to those who have chosen economic development as their career but do not have the budget to support their development. The Scholarship Program is an intricate part of achieving this goal.

Scholarship Categories

CONFERENCE ATTENDEE
Scholarship dollars are awarded to cover the registration and/or hotel costs to attend one of AAED’s signature conferences (i.e. Spring Conference or Fall Forum).

AZED PRO CERTIFICATION
Scholarship dollars cover the cost of all courses required to obtain the AZED Pro certification. While recommended, the recipient does not need to be part of the AZED Pro Cohort Program to be eligible. To receive the funds, the recipient must agree to complete all courses in one year. Applicants can apply for scholarship dollars to cover either partial or the full cost of the program.

AAED MEMBERSHIP
Scholarship dollars cover the cost of a one-year Practitioner membership to AAED.

FUND GUIDELINES

  • Only current AAED members qualify for scholarship funds. The exception is the Membership Scholarship, which can be awarded to an individual who has applied for membership.
  • Preference is given to Tribal entities and counties with less than 3,000,000 residents as determined by the 2020 Decennial Census.
  • The total awardable funds are determined by the AAED Scholarship Fund Committee each year. The actual number of scholarships awarded is contingent upon available funds.
  • The total scholarships awarded in each category may vary from year to year depending on applications, though every effort will be made to select at least one applicant per category.
  • Fund recipients receive promotional codes and/or costs are paid by AAED directly. No funds are paid directly to the recipient.

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

In addition to taking advantage of the professional development opportunities offered through the scholarship category, recipients are expected to summarize their experience as part of AAED’s ongoing marketing efforts.

When participating in scholarship-related activities, recipients are responsible for costs incurred that are not covered by the scholarship, which may include travel, food, lodging, additional event fees, etc.

SCHOLARSHIP TIMELINE

Fall 2025 Scholarship Window

July 1 — Applications open
August 8 — Applications due
August 22 — Scholarship recipients notified
August 29 — Scholarship acceptance deadline

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Spring 2026 Scholarship Window

January 5 — Applications open
February 13 — Applications due
February 27 — Scholarship recipients notified
March 6 — Scholarship acceptance deadline

Applications should be emailed to info@aaed.com by the deadline. You can also send any questions to that address!