Scholarships
AWS Foundation awards over $1 million annually for education in welding and related fields.
Scholarships Help Complete Degrees, Improve Skill Levels
Are you, a relative, or friend seeking money for welding related studies? Each year the AWS awards numerous scholarships to promote welding related education. Scholarships cover everything from learning basic welding skills to graduate students doing research on space age welding. Scholarships are awarded at the national level, the district level, and the local level.
In a typical year the Cleveland Section gives five scholarships ranging from $500 to $3000 each. Recipients range from students just learning to weld to students enrolled in four-year university degree programs, to career welders learning a new process. The Cleveland Section has four named scholarships, the John Gerkin, the Jack Buck, the Ray Sacha, and the Lowbrow Customs Scholarship.
The Gerkin Scholarship, created by the Cleveland Section, honors Dr. John Gerkin, a longtime active member of the Cleveland Section. In addition to serving on the Cleveland Section board in numerous positions including Section Chairman, Dr. John, a noted researcher, also served two terms as AWS National President. Ellen Flint created The Jack Buck Scholarship through a donation, in memory of her uncle Jack Buck. Mr. Buck was a welder and pipe fitter whose work in Northeast Ohio included the Perry Nuclear plant. The Sacha family created The Ray Sacha Scholarship through a donation to honor Ray’s long time commitment to welding education. The Sacha endowment has recently grown because of numerous donations received to honor Ray’s memory.
Each of these awards has a specific focus. The Gerkin Award is to encourage welding education at the community college and university level. The candidate must be enrolled in a two or four year school and making satisfactory progress toward a degree. This award represents a commitment by the Cleveland Section for up to four years depending on the degree being pursued. The Gerken Award helps pay for welding education at the community college and university level for up to four years.
The Jack Buck Award is to help a student acquire the skills that Mr. Buck used as he helped in the development of Northeast Ohio. The successful candidate for the Buck award will attend the Lincoln Electric Welding School to learn pipe welding.
Recognizing that designers, engineers, and specifiers need to have a practical understanding of welding, the Sacha Award is to encourage welding skills development for those pursuing a welding related education. The successful candidate for the Sacha Award will be pursuing a post secondary degree in a welding related program and will have his tuition covered at the Lincoln Electric Welding School to advance his or her welding skills.
The Lowbrow Customs Scholarship is for a student in the section attending the Lincoln Electric Welding School. Founded in 2004, is a physical manifestation of chopper fever and passion for all things motorcycle. Based in northeast Ohio, Lowbrow works hard to innovate and building, creating brand new parts and accessories, supplying motorcycle enthusiasts with cool parts and keeping them on the road.
The local scholarships are awarded to residents within the Cleveland Section region. It is not necessary to be an AWS member, or related to an AWS member. In addition to the three named awards, each year the Cleveland Section awards other scholarships for welding related education, both skills development and academic pursuits. If you, or someone you know is interested in applying for a welding related scholarship, please contact our Scholarship Chairman, Elliott Ash. Call Elliott at 216-906-8185 or email him at [email protected].
In addition to the Cleveland Section Scholarships, AWS Scholarships are awarded at the national and the district levels. The AWS Foundation has awarded more than $8 million in scholarships since 1991.