The Virginia Association for Pupil Transportation (VAPT) has made available an educational scholarship in memory of Floyd Withers “Sonny” Merryman Jr., who passed away in December.

Merryman, who founded school bus dealership Sonny Merryman Inc., provided hundreds of young Virginians with scholarship assistance, and he contributed to numerous youth development organizations and other causes.

The $2,500 VAPT scholarship is available to seniors at public schools in Virginia who have a parent or grandparent currently or formerly employed in the public school pupil transportation field within the state.

Applicants will be evaluated on several criteria, including demonstration of outstanding leadership skills and abilities in co-curricular activities and community service activities, and applicants must also demonstrate exemplary citizenship qualities, such as maturity, loyalty, responsibility and integrity.

An essay explaining why the student applied for the scholarship and a cumulative grade point average that’s a minimum of 3.0 are also required.    

Applications must be submitted to the Virginia Association for Pupil Transportation scholarship committee by April 30, 2014.

Officials said the scholarship will be awarded at the VAPT conference on June 18 in Norfolk. Applicants do not have to be present to win.

For full details on the scholarship and the procedures for applying, visit www.vapt.org.