The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has announced 76 scholarships for the 2010 calendar year, and the scholarships are worth around $196,000. The GIA is offering its on-campus scholarships for gemology and jewellery arts courses at its centres in U.S., while the gemology and jewellery design scholarships are available at its centres in Thailand, India and London. Distance Education awards are also part of the initiative. %% The plethora of scholarships have been funded through contributions from private donors and GIA’s endowment fund and this exemplifies the support towards education during the tough economic climate. Bev Berthoty, GIA Institute Relations Manager said that “The current economic climate makes it crucial for financial support to be available for deserving, qualified students. It’s heartening to see the industry continue its generosity in supporting those seeking a gemological education.” %% New scholarships for 2010 include the Rio Grande Scholarship, for one On-campus Graduate Jeweler (G.J.) programme at the Carlsbad, California campus. Alan Bell, the donor of the Rio Grande Scholarship, explained why he started this fund. “This scholarship is in honor of my late father who loved nothing better than sharing his knowledge about jewellery with others,” said Bell. “My family has enormous respect for the integrity of GIA’s educational programmes. We want this monetary support to help foster another gem enthusiast, like my father.” The Richard T. Liddicoat Scholarship Fund, created by the GIA Alumni Association in 2003 to honor Liddicoat, the Institute’s longtime president and chairman, is another find dedicated to providing education to the deserving. Students are awarded two full scholarships each year in the GIA Graduate Gemologist (G.G.) diploma programme. %% The applications for the scholarships have been opened until October 30, 2009.