Updated: IndustryWeek’s Big List of Manufacturing Scholarships
Does your company or organization offer a manufacturing-related scholarship to students? Contact IndustryWeek Senior Editor Laura Putre, and if it fits our criteria, we'll add your scholarship to our listings.
List updated 4/20/2026
Maybe you’re a high-school or undergraduate student interested in working in a manufacturing or manufacturing-adjacent field that requires a college degree or technical training. Or perhaps, you’re an adult thinking about going back to school for a trade certification or bachelor’s degree in a STEM field related to manufacturing.
Well, there is money out there to help pay for your schooling; you just need to know where to find it. It can be tough to know where to start looking, so the IndustryWeek staff has begun tracking these opportunities for our readers and their friends, neighbors and families.
Below is a running list of the scholarships we’re aware of, which you’ll find below this introduction. At this point, we’re primarily listing United States scholarships that are fairly wide-ranging, rather than scholarships narrowly restricted to a certain group or location or limited to relatives of company employees.
Manufacturing Scholarships
American Welding Society national scholarships
Who is eligible: Students pursuing a bachelor’s or associate degree in welding or a related discipline. There are more than 130 AWS national scholarships funded by companies and other donors, and some have additional eligibility requirements.
Amount: $2,500 to $7,000+
Deadlines: May 1, 2026 and March 1, 2027 (depending on the scholarship)
Where to apply: https://www.aws.org/Career-Resources/Students/Scholarships/National-Scholarships/
North American Die Casting Association Scholarships
Who is eligible: College/university/technical school students (undergraduate, graduate, doctoral) who have worked at a die casting company in the past 12 months (David Laine Intern and Scholarship Program) or graduate engineering students (Steven J. Harmon Scholarship).
Amount: Not listed
Deadline: Apply Aug. 1 through Oct. 1.
Where to apply: https://www.diecasting.org/scholarship
Dematic First Scholarship
Who is eligible: High school seniors and current college and trade school students who have participated in a FIRST Robotics Competition or a FIRST Tech Challenge team during high school. Preference to students pursuing STEM degrees/certifications. Students must be pursuing a post-secondary degree or certification at a North American institution.
Amount: Two $5,000 awards and 10 $1,000 awards will be given
Deadline: May 31, 2026
Where to apply: https://dematic.info/first-scholarship/
DEWALT Trades Scholarship
Who is eligible: Those pursuing a trade degree or certificate at a two-year college or vocational-technical school in the U.S. and Canada.
Amount: A total of $200,000 in scholarships given to up to 40 students.
Deadline: Last year’s application window was September through mid-January. Check the website for details.
Where to learn more: https://www.dewalt.com/en-us/resources/highlights-news/growthetrades
Fabricators and Manufacturers Association Foundation scholarships
Who is eligible: Students majoring in programs that lead to careers in manufacturing. Must be currently enrolled in or entering a certificate or degree program of 12 or more credit hours, with at least a 2.5 GPA for trade, community or technical colleges and a 3.0 GPA for universities. Recommended fields of study are listed here: https://www.fmamfg.org/foundation/scholarships/eligibility-fields-of-study-nbt-scholarships
Amount: Depends on the scholarship.
Deadline: Scholarships are award in spring and fall. The next round of applications will be accepted between July 1 and Sept. 30, 2026.
Where to apply: https://www.fmamfg.org/foundation/scholarships
LIFT Education Foundation scholarships
Who is eligible: High-school seniors enrolling in advanced manufacturing programs at community colleges, technical schools and universities. Twenty-five scholarships are awarded each year.
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: April 30, 2026
Where to apply: https://www.lifteducationfoundation.org/
PMMI (Association for Packaging and Processing Technology) Scholarships
Who is eligible: Students looking to enter the packaging and processing industries upon graduation.
Amount: Varies depending on the scholarship. Check https://www.pmmifoundation.org/scholarships for information on each scholarship.
Deadline: Deadlines are in spring and summer depending on the scholarship; check website.
Where to apply: https://www.pmmifoundation.org/scholarships
Precision Metalforming Association Educational Foundation scholarships
Who is eligible: High school seniors or current post-secondary students enrolled in a program, job training, apprenticeship or accredited certification or degree program related to metalforming, manufacturing, technology, engineering, robotics machining, CNC, tool and die, welding or stamping. Applicants must have a minimum of one manufacturing-related course in high school and at least a 2.0 GPA.
Amount: $500 to $3,000
Deadline: Scholarships are awarded in spring and fall. The fall application opens Oct. 5, 2026 and closes Jan. 31, 2027.
Where to apply: https://www.pma.org/foundation/educational-scholarships.asp
Plastics Hall of Fame Scholarship/SPE Foundation
Who is eligible: Full-time undergraduate, technical, or graduate students pursuing coursework that supports a career in plastics or polymers. Eligible fields of study include business, environmental studies, history, political science, mold-making, and plastic technology.
Amount: Four scholarships of $5,000 each.
Deadline: April 1; blow molding scholarships are open until May 31.
Where to Apply: www.4spe.org/scholarships
SME Education Foundation Scholarships
Who is eligible: Graduating high school seniors pursuing manufacturing and engineering related courses at two- or four-year technical schools, community colleges and universities within the United States or Canada. SME also offers scholarships for graduate students.
Amount: Scholarship amounts vary; there is a wide range of awards.
Deadline: Applications accepted Nov. 1 through Feb. 1.
Where to Apply: https://www.smeef.org/sme-education-foundation-scholarships/scholarship-opportunities/graduating-hs-seniors1
About the Author
Laura Putre
Senior Editor, IndustryWeek
As senior editor, Laura Putre works with IndustryWeek's editorial contributors and reports on leadership and the automotive industry as they relate to manufacturing. She joined IndustryWeek in 2015 as a staff writer covering workforce issues.
Prior to IndustryWeek, Laura reported on the healthcare industry and covered local news. She was the editor of the Chicago Journal and a staff writer for Cleveland Scene. Her national bylines include The Guardian, Slate, Pacific-Standard and The Root.
Laura was a National Press Foundation fellow in 2022.
Got a story idea? Reach out to Laura at [email protected]