The Orlando campus of Universal Technical Institute (UTI) — the leading provider of automotive, diesel, motorcycle and marine technician training — recently celebrated the awarding of two housing scholarships equivalent to nearly one year of housing rental expenses by its housing partner, Collegiate Housing Services. Students Philip Kinler and Richard Venable, who are both part of the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI), a division of UTI, were presented with the scholarships.
“We’re excited to provide these scholarships to these deserving students,” said Tiffany Johnson, director of student services. “Since many of our students are nontraditional and often leave family behind as they pursue their education, this scholarship is a major relief to the recipients.”
This holds true for Venable, who initially planned to work seven days a week to support his family in Jacksonville.
“Before attending UTI, I was working well over 60 hours per week and barely had time for my wife and two sons,” said Venable. “Now, I’ll be able to put my funds that I would otherwise use as rent towards visiting them every weekend.”
For Kinler, the funds will help him make a smooth transition from Texas to Florida.
“Just two years ago, I was homeless without a job,” said Kinler. “Since then, I’ve set my eyes on being the best motorcycle technician at MMI.”
The awards will be presented annually by Collegiate Housing Services (CHS) to students based on the population of the school. For every UTI campus that has 100 or more students in shared housing, two scholarships will be awarded.
