As the new year rolls around and high school seniors head into their final semester, their future in the auto industry awaits!

Our Workforce Development team is there to guide and support them as they make the transition from high school student, to college student, to auto technician. We spent the fall and early winter visiting New Hampshire’s 20 high school auto programs promoting scholarships, college pathways, and automotive careers. Now, thanks to our members and their various donations throughout the year, we are preparing to award up to $100,000 in scholarships to students attending New Hampshire’s community colleges in the 2022-2023 school year.

Our scholarship application is online now, and the applications have already started rolling in. If you know a student seeking an automotive path, please encourage them to fill the application out now at foundation.nhada.com/scholarships. Recommendations from employers go a long way, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have a student working for you.

There are also many ways students can win scholarship money this spring. Our Big Raffle provides every senior a chance at the $25,000 grand prize. Thanks to our members, every high school senior receives a ticket. If a student wins, their tuition for a two-year auto program at one of New Hampshire’s community colleges will be fully paid! Be sure to buy your tickets today.

At the Big Raffle, we will also be awarding a $5,000 scholarship to a lucky Race to 5K subscriber. With our Race to 5K, we have built an online community of students and parents interested in auto careers. It provides resources for all who join and helps us connect students with the colleges and industry track where they expressed interest. We currently have 688 subscribers and counting. One lucky number will be drawn at the Big Raffle to win the $5,000 scholarship.

In March, students can also win scholarship money by competing at the NHADA and SkillsUSA competitions. There will be three competitions: automotive, small engine, and diesel. These competitions give students a chance to showcase what they have learned in a friendly but competitive environment. The top three finishers will win scholarships from NHAEF. If you are interested in sponsoring a student to compete, please let us know.

The Education Foundation works to ensure that money does not stand in the way of a student pursuing a career in auto. Last year, we awarded over $85,000 in scholarships, and those recipients are about to start their second semester of college. Many have already begun working for our member businesses and have successfully launched their careers as auto technicians.

We look forward to supporting a new crop of students as they take their next steps toward their future!