College Scholarship Program

Funds available to students pursuing continuing education.

SSPC is pleased to announce that the Board of Governors has continued the college scholarship program that was established in 2011.  Beginning in January 2013, college students will be able to apply for one of four $2,500 scholarships to be awarded for the 2013-14 school year.

Any student who is beginning or continuing their education in an institution of higher learning can apply for a scholarship.  All educational institutions in the United States or Canada are now acceptable for students to receive these scholarships.  Prior to 2012, the student had to be enrolled in a coatings related field and the scholarship was only awarded if the student was enrolled or about to enter selected institutions.

Scholarship funds shall be applied to the direct costs of the student’s education courses.  To coordinate the effort, SSPC will work with the institution’s financial aid office to ensure proper use of the funds.

In order to be considered for the scholarship, candidates must be a high school senior planning to enroll full-time or a student already enrolled full-time in an accredited institution of higher learning that has three or four-year curriculum.  They also must be a member of SSPC in good standing, or a child or grandchild of an SSPC member in good standing.  To apply for the scholarship, candidates must submit a completed application form with two letters of recommendation from two different people who are not related to the applicant, and submit high school or college transcripts and a personal letter expressing why they deserve this scholarship and what they plan to do in their field of study.  The deadline for application submission is April 30, 2013.

A panel consisting of three SSPC members designated by the Board will choose the scholarship recipient.

Click here to download the scholarship application

About SSPC

SSPC is internationally recognized as the leading society in the field of protective coatings.  Its surface preparation and coatings standards have been governing the use of coatings worldwide since 1950 when it was founded as the Steel Structures Painting Council.   Originally part of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, SSPC is dedicated to the use of high-performance industrial coatings for the protection and preservation of concrete, steel and other industrial structures.   From an initial core of fundamentals coatings training courses developed in the early 1990’s to the comprehensive list of technical certifications offered today, over 40,000 industry professionals have used SSPC to enhance their coatings knowledge.  In addition to certification, standards and training, SSPC offers a variety of technical publications, advocacy, the Journal of Protective Coatings & Linings, and a wide range of information resources.  Membership in SSPC includes over 9,000 coatings professionals and over 800 industry-related companies.  For more information, visit www.SSPC.org.