Thanks to another successful fundraising drive within the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota (AASP-MN) membership, the Alliance will be awarding scholarships to select students enrolled in post-secondary automotive (auto service or collision repair) programs. Scholarship awards will be $1,000 per student and can be applied towards tuition or tool purchases.

Recipients must be entering their first or second year of a NATEF-certified automotive program in the fall of 2019. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of industry representatives, with consideration given to scholastic achievement, education and career goals, financial need and written recommendations. Applications must be postmarked no later than March 31, 2019.

Applications can be downloaded from the Alliance’s website, https://aaspmn.org/scholarships/ or submitted online at www.automotivescholarships.com/scholarshiptype.cfm?type=27. Online submissions give students the opportunity to compete for several different awards, including those offered by the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium Scholarship Committee and over 40 other automotive aftermarket organizations and companies. Specific requirements for each organization’s awards can be found at www.automotivescholarships.com.

The Education Fund was established in 2002 to provide financial resources to support automotive students, enhance automotive programs and raise awareness of career opportunities in the independent automotive service industry. Since that time, over $233,000 has been invested in student scholarships, Skills USA and automotive education programs throughout the state. In 2016, AASP-MN’s efforts to attract a future workforce expanded significantly with the creation of Minnesota Careers in Automotive Repair and Service (MNCARS), a statewide marketing and outreach initiative to encourage high school students to pursue an education and career in the automotive service and collision repair industry.