The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) announced that numerous college scholarships are available for the 2008 academic year. Many local chapters of SFPE across the country offer scholarships for fire protection engineering graduate and undergraduate college students.
"These scholarships are a great way to offset the rising costs of college," says Chris Jelenewicz, SFPE Engineering Program Manager. "Scholarships range from $500 to $7,000."
In past years, the chapters have found that many of these scholarships go unclaimed.
"The last few years we have had very little response to the scholarship. This is true even after contacting the universities that teach fire protection and ask to announce the scholarship to the students," says SFPE Tennessee Valley Chapter President, Monty Overton.
The SFPE Chapters are eager for students to apply for these scholarships.
"We have circulated the applications to several area colleges for years, but the response has been sporadic and less than desired," notes Bill Kennedy SFPE St. Louis Chapter Board of Directors.
Additionally, many scholarships are available from colleges and universities that offer programs in fire protection engineering and from private fire protection organizations.
"Because the demand for fire protection engineers outpaces the supply, it is very difficult for employers to find qualified fire protection engineers," says Jelenewicz. "To meet this demand, these scholarships give interested students an opportunity to enter this rewarding profession."
More information about the scholarships that are available for college students majoring in fire protection engineering can be found at http://www.careersinfireprotectionengineering.com
What is a fire protection engineer?
According to the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, a fire protection engineer applies science and engineering principles to protect people, homes, workplaces, the economy and the environment from the devastating effects of fires. Fire protection engineers analyze how buildings are used, how fires start and grow, and how fires affect people and property. They use the latest technologies to design systems to control fires, alert people to danger, and provide means for escape. Fire protection engineers also work closely with other professionals, including engineers of other disciplines, architects, state and local building officials, and local fire departments to build fire safe communities. Fire protection engineers are in high demand. The number of available jobs far exceeds the supply.
About Society of Fire Protection Engineers
Organized in 1950, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers is the professional society for engineers involved in the field of fire protection engineering. The purposes of SFPE are to advance the science and practice of fire protection engineering, maintain a high ethical standing among its members and foster fire protection engineering education. SFPE's worldwide members include engineers in private practice, in industry and in local, regional and national government. Chapters are located in Canada, China, France, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the United States.