The American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) is now accepting applications for the Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program for the 2010 academic year. The program provides financial assistance to help the children of highway construction workers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty pursue post-high school education.

The scholarship program was launched in October 1999 through a generous $100,000 gift from the families of past ARTBA Chairmen Jack and Stan Lanford of Roanoke, Va., and is supported today with contributions from industry foundations, firms and executives, and labor organizations. The scholarships have a value up to $5,000.

Applicants must be the sons, daughters or legally adopted children of highway workers who have died or become permanently disabled in roadway construction zone accidents.

An applicant’s parent must have been employed by a transportation construction company or a transportation public agency at the time of his or her death or disabling injury.

The scholarship award must be used to attend a post-secondary institution of learning that requires a high school diploma or Graduate Equivalent Degree (G.E.D.).

There are several criteria considered for selection of scholarship recipients:

• Past academic performance record: high school grades for new college entrants or cumulative college grade point average and academic performance for applicants already attending an institution of higher learning. A minimum cumulative academic performance of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale is required;
• A typewritten statement of no more than 200 words that explains the applicant’s reasons for wanting to continue their education;
• Demonstrated need for financial assistance to attend school; and
• Letters of recommendation—in addition to those required from two teachers—that are offered in support of the applicant’s nomination.

Applications must be postmarked by March 19, 2010. To obtain a copy of the application, contact ARTBA’s Holly Bolton at 202.289.4434 or visit www.artbatdf.org.