Time is now to apply for an OOIDA scholarship
Your children or grandchildren are likely on Christmas break around this time. For kids or grandkids who are ready to enter college, now is the perfect time to start working on scholarship applications.
Specifically, now is a great time to encourage them to submit their applications to the OOIDA Mary Johnston Scholarship Fund.
Children, grandchildren and legal dependents of OOIDA members are eligible to apply for the annual scholarship.
The OOIDA Mary Johnston Scholarship Fund was established in 1998 for the children, grandchildren and legal dependents of OOIDA members. To be eligible, the applicant must be at least a high school senior and no older than 22. Five scholarships are given each year. That includes one $2,000 scholarship and four $1,000 scholarships.
Any members with children or grandchildren planning to attend a college or trade school should apply.
In addition, any truck drivers who are not OOIDA members but have kids in need of a scholarship should consider joining today.
Each student must submit an application, which includes a 500-word essay.
The essay is focused on three questions:
- What are three positive aspects of the influence of the trucker in your life?
- How does your choice of an educational goal utilize the strongest attributes of your personality?
- What changes do you see on the road, in five or 10 years, that would improve the trucking industry?
The application must also include a high school transcript or transcript from an institution of higher learning, proof of enrollment from an institution of higher education prior to receiving a scholarship award and a photo of the applicant in the event that they are selected for an award.
The application, essay, transcript and proof of enrollment are forwarded to the OOIDA Scholarship Committee, which is appointed by the OOIDA Board of Directors. The Scholarship Committee reads each essay, reviews all information provided by each student and votes to choose the scholarship winners.
OOIDA encourages students not only to apply but also not to wait until the last minute.
Scholarship applications due by Feb. 1, 2026
The required application and cover letter forms are available for download on the OOIDA website. Those materials must be postmarked no later than Feb. 1, 2026. The OOIDA Scholarship Advisory Committee will select the winners through a blind evaluation.
Winners will be notified by letter after the Spring Board Meeting each year. OOIDA will verify enrollment and deposit the funds directly in the student’s account at the institute of higher learning of his/her choice. Funds will be available in the first week of August for each year. Each scholarship award is renewable for three additional years. In order to renew the scholarship, the student must complete and return a renewal form that will be mailed to the winners each year.
For more information on the scholarship program, email Andrew_King@OOIDA.com or write to:
Andrew King
OOIDA Mary Johnston Scholarship Program
1 NW OOIDA Drive
P.O. Box 1000
Grain Valley, MO 64029
The 2025 winner of the $2,000 scholarship was Wyatt Arntt, who is the son of OOIDA senior member Steve Arntt of Goodland, Kan. The $1,000 scholarship winners were Cooper Daniel, Madison Woehrle, Sig Halvorson and Michael Rotondo. Owen Pingel was named the alternate. LL