Time to apply for the OOIDA scholarship

So many truck drivers put in years of hard work to make life a little easier for their children.

And over the years, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has helped its members toward that goal.

Children, grandchildren and legal dependents of OOIDA members are eligible to apply for the OOIDA Mary Johnston Scholarship.

The scholarship program, which was established in 1998, selects five recipients and one alternate each year. The scholarship’s contributions to date are approaching $500,000.

Any members with children or grandchildren planning to attend a college or trade school should encourage them to apply. In addition, any truck drivers who are not OOIDA members but have kids in need of a scholarship should consider signing up for membership.

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 Scholarship Advisory Committee will select the winners through a blind evaluation.

Mary Johnston Scholarship awards are transferred directly to the student’s selected institution and can be renewed for a total of four years. Those funds can be used for tuition or any legitimate school-related expenses.

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