YOU CAN’T WIN IF YOU DON’T
PLAY THE GAME

by Marty Baker

Pursuing a higher education beyond high school becomes a financial challenge for many people.  This holds true for those attending career and trade schools as well as those attending colleges and universities.  Unfortunately, many school applicants do not take advantage of scholarship opportunities.  They rule themselves out of the game before even entering the competition.  That is like staying home… or sitting in the locker room… and saying you’ve lost the football game before the opponents have even set foot on the field!  You don’t have to be a straight “A” student to win a football game.  And you don’t have to be a straight “A” student to apply and be awarded a welding scholarship!

If you plan to attend the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology, scholarship opportunities are available to you.  Check with your local sections of the American Welding Society.  For example, the Dayton, Ohio Section has established an educational scholarship fund on behalf of Al J. Mealey, the first Dayton Section Chairman.  This particular one will be awarded in June with an application deadline of May 1.  This one-year scholarship of $2000 may be used to cover the cost of tuition, books, supplies, and related institutional costs.  Applicants for this particular scholarship must be from the Dayton metropolitan area or surrounding counties and be enrolled in a welding-related educational or training program.  If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Bryan Worley, AWS Dayton Section, Norcold, Inc., 1 Century Drive, Gettysburg, OH 45328.  Or contact your local section of AWS.

The American Welding Society also offers District Scholarships.  You may download applications for this at www.aws.org or contact the Development Coordinator at the AWS Foundation, 550 NW LeJeune Road, Miami, FL  33126.

The Hobart Institute offers three scholarships each year for tuition for the twenty-one week Structural Welding Program.  These scholarships cover tuition for the five-month program or you may apply it toward the cost of the nine-month Combination Structural and Pipe Welding Program.  Since the Hobart Institute conducts classes year around, application deadlines are April 1, August 1, and December 1.   To be eligible for these scholarships, candidates must have graduated from high school within the past seven years or have obtained a G.E.D. equivalent during that time. 

Get in the game!  Complete and mail the applications for these scholarships that may be obtained at www.welding.org, by calling 1-800-332-9448, ext. 5300, or by writing to Scholarship Application Request, Hobart Institute of Welding Technology, 400 Trade Square East, Troy, OH  45373 USA.