Global Fastener News

FEATURE
Fastener Associations Award Variety of Scholarships

Associations raise money through donations, raffles and tabletop trade shows for scholarships not just for college – also for the Fastener Training Institute and the University of Innovative Distribution.  Below are current scholarship programs and application deadlines.  Donations are accepted anytime.

 • The Metropolitan Fastener Distributors Association will award scholarships to incoming college freshman on June 16, 2016.  The deadline for applications is May 1.  Web: mfda.us

 • The Mid-Atlantic Fastener Distributors Association offers scholarships for member-company employees and their families.  The deadline for applications is May 1, 2016.  Web: mafda.com

 • The Mid-West Fastener Association will award multiple scholarships up to $4,000 on October 6, 2016, at the Brookfield Zoo in conjunction with the association’s 70th anniversary.  Deadline for applications: August 1.  Web: mwfa.net

 • The New England Fastener Distributors Association will award scholarships October 6, 2016 in conjunction with its dinner meeting.  Deadline for applications: August 1.  Web: nefda.com 

 • The North Coast Fastener Association annually gives about $5,000 in scholarships to employees or their children of NCFA member companies. The deadline for applications in May 31, 2016.   Web: ncfaonline.com 

 • The Southeastern Fastener Association will award a $4,000 scholarship donated by the Mike Jones family and donors to the Slater Jones Memorial Scholarship.  The largest SEFA scholarship is named after Emoretta Datwyler “Em” Webb – who in 1991 became the first woman president of the association.  The 2016 application deadline is past and scholarships to be awarded April 14 during SEFA’s spring conference in Tampa.   Web: thesefa.com

• The Southwestern Fastener Association will present 11 scholarships to college students of member companies. Application deadline: April 1, 2016.  SFA has individual scholarships named for past association leaders: Gene Petty and Will Rodriguez.  Web: sfa-fastener.org 

 • The Gilchrist Foundation has awarded 50 scholarships within the fastener industry since 2000.  There were six scholarships in 2015 in conjunction with the Southeastern Fastener Association and Mid-West Fastener Association.

Robbie Gilchrist and Gina Gilchrist established the Gilchrist Foundation Fastener Scholarship to return something to the industry. They opened Capital Fasteners Inc. in 1985 in North Carolina and sold the multi-state distributorship in 1999.

The Gilchrist Foundation applicants can be full time or part time students working in the industry or children of working fastener people.  Application deadline is May 1, 2016. Web: gilchristfoundation.com

 • Women in the Fastener Industry present the Edith Cameron and Ann Bisgyer Wolz memorial scholarships to WIFI members. The Cameron scholarship sponsors an attendee at the October 25-27, 2016, National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo in Las Vegas and the Bisgyer Wolz scholarship provides tuition for the Fastener Training Institute. WIFI is accepting applications through August.  Web: FastenerWomen.com

 • The Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association awards 15 scholarships to distributor members for the University of Innovative Distribution – held this year March 6-9 in Indianapolis.  The deadline for applications for 2017 will be in December 2016.  Web: STAFDA.org and Univid.org