About Us

The Bernie Scholarship Awards Program

Founded: 1995

Founder: Mr. Bernie Tetreault

Our Mission: Scholarship funds benefit both adults returning to or beginning either college or vocational training and graduating high school seniors seeking college education or vocational training.  Recipients must live in Montgomery County, Maryland’s subsidized rental housing.

Management (volunteers): Board of Directors and Advisory Board

How We Started: When Bernie Tetreault retired after 24 years of service as Executive Director of the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC), he and some of his friends wanted to come up with a unique way to celebrate and continue to give back to the community that he had served for so long.  In 1995, they established the Bernie Education Fund, a precursor to The Bernie Scholarship Awards Program, which is now a component fund of the Greater Washington Community Foundation.