Student Spotlight: Single Mom Earns Scholarship Honoring AHFA Retiree

September 01, 2023

AHFA's latest Student Spotlight shines on Karinsa Morgan, a non-traditional student and mother of three attending Gadsden State Community College. After she completes her associate's degree in sociology, Morgan plans to continue her education at Gadsden State University.

Morgan and her family live in Gadsden's Timbers at Rayleigh Apartments, an affordable multifamily community financed in part by AHFA.

Morgan is the second recipient of an Alabama Affordable Housing Association (AAHA) resident scholarship named in honor of AHFA retiree Barbara Wallace, who served as multifamily manager until December 2021.

"Having to juggle work, school, kids, and home has me in a season of struggle sometimes just to put food on the table. Being a full-time single mother of three children while attending school is not easy. I am also the first person in my generation to graduate, and the weight of changing my family dynamics is also heavy," she said. "The AAHA Scholarship has provided an opportunity for financial assistance to help me attain my educational goals by adding an additional amount of financial stability, helping to assist with books, and paying for shelter."

AAHA's scholarship program is open to eligible tenants and resident family members living at an AAHA-member apartment complex and to property/divisional management staff of AAHA-member companies and their children. Applicants must be accepted or enrolled in an accredited vocational or technical school, college or university; have at least a "B" average or 3.0 GPA; and meet all other application criteria.

Since 2000, AAHA has awarded $1 million in scholarships and provided assistance to more than 100 college graduates.