MBTA Educational Foundation
The MBTA Educational Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit charitable organization that awards scholarships annually to deserving Maine students studying transportation-related fields of study. The MBTA hopes scholarship recipients will become future leaders in the industry.
The Maine Better Transportation Association began offering scholarships to Maine students in the early 1980s, through a Scholarship Fund In 2000, the association formed a separate organization, the MBTA Educational Foundation in order to better manage the fund and to provide an opportunity for MBTA members and friends to donate to the foundation. The fund has grown from $4,500 in 1990 to nearly more than $800,000 in 2024, thanks to the generosity of MBTA members. The major fundraiser for the foundation is the annual Super Raffle, but members also make other donations, often to honor a family member or colleague.
Scholarships
In recent years, the association has provided scholarships to students enrolled at the University of Maine, Maine Maritime Academy, Washington County Community College, Northern Maine Community College and Southern Maine Community College. The Foundation has one scholarship application for all schools, rather than individual scholarships for each school. Members of the foundation’s board of directors make the selections. Awards range from $500 to $2,000.
Several MBTA Educational Foundation scholarship recipients are pre-screened through the specific schools, and the Educational Foundation board makes the final award decisions. The Kenneth W. Burrill Scholarship and the Transportation Trailblazer Scholarship may be sought by completing the application forms and other required materials. The application deadline for 2024 scholarships is September 23, 2024.
For more information about all MBTA scholarships, contact the MBTA at 622-0526.
