9 Princeton Students Receive $55,500 In Housing Scholarships During Community Celebration

PRINCETON, NJ — Nine students from Princeton Community Housing (PCH) were honored at a scholarship celebration on Aug. 13, receiving a combined $55,500 in awards from the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA) and the New Jersey Affordable Housing Management Association (JAHMA).

The ceremony took place at the Ted Vial Clubhouse in Princeton Community Village (PCV), PCH's flagship neighborhood.

This year's awards represent a remarkable milestone for PCH, marking the 18th consecutive year that residents have earned NAHMA and JAHMA scholarships. The cumulative scholarship support for PCH students has now reached nearly $1 million.

Seven of this year's scholarship recipients live at PCV, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, while two students call PCH's Griggs Farm community home.

Sara Just, PCH Trustee and Chair of the PCV Management Committee, served as the evening's emcee. She opened the celebration by recognizing the collaborative efforts of PCH trustees, staff, and social service coordinators who work to connect residents with local opportunities and resources. Just emphasized the vital role of community partnerships and celebrated the determination shown by PCH students.

The evening's keynote speaker, Evelyn Turner Counts, delivered a powerful message that connected with both students and their families. Drawing from nearly 35 years of experience as an educator in Princeton's public school system, Counts shared personal insights from her journey of self-discovery that began during her college years at Mount Holyoke.

"Be yourself. Don't fight to fit in. Develop the unique personality that is already inside you. It is vital that you become what you're supposed to be," Counts told the gathered students. She encouraged them to actively seek mentors, embrace calculated risks, and pursue their full potential without compromise.

Bruce Johnson, Administrator of the Affordable Housing Management Association Scholarship Program, addressed the significance of the awards and the broader opportunities they represent. He emphasized that genuine opportunity requires dedicated effort, noting that "Opportunity looks a lot like work."

Johnson explained that these scholarships extend far beyond financial assistance—they represent institutional confidence in each recipient's potential for success. For the 2025-2026 academic year, NAHMA distributed over $500,000 in scholarships nationally, with individual PCH recipients earning $3,500 each. JAHMA recipients were eligible for up to $4,000 toward tuition at accredited higher education or vocational institutions.

The continuing success of PCH students in securing competitive scholarships demonstrates the effectiveness of this integrated approach to community development, where stable housing serves as the foundation for broader educational and economic advancement.

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