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 $600,000 in 2019, 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. Each school forwards names to the MBTA of students enrolled in transportation-related programs and who have shown financial need and academic promise. 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. Scholarships for the 2019-2020 school year have been awarded. The application deadline for 2020-2021 scholarships will be posted after the first of the year. For more information about all MBTA scholarships, contact the MBTA at 622-0526.