Tackling the cost of tuition can seem like an overwhelming obstacle for aspiring collision repair professionals, and that’s before they start stocking their toolboxes with the key tools needed in order to actually collect a paycheck. Fortunately, the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) continues to help alleviate that burden by facilitating the industry’s generosity via CREF’s 2025 Student Scholarships!
Applications are now open online with a deadline of March 6. Funding is available for high school and college collision students to support their educational endeavors and help supply the employee pipeline for collision repair facilities around the country.
“Helping students pursue a collision education without accruing debt has made a huge impact for thousands of students over the years, contributing to their successful careers and strengthening the industry by providing a well-educated and properly-equipped pipeline of entry-level employees,” says Melissa Marscin, Director of Operations and Impact for the Foundation. “The Foundation is passionate about supporting the next generation of collision repairers, and we are thankful for the industry supporters who have made this possible by continuing to step up and donate to fund these annual scholarships and tool grants.”
CREF’s 2024 Student Scholarships provided 90 students with over $235,000 in financial assistance to empower those students by helping enable them to continue their education and ensure that they are prepared to pursue a successful career in body shops and other facets of the collision repair industry.
“This award will make a difference in my life because I just don’t have money to buy tools right when I graduate,” shares Brent Kehoe (Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology; Lancaster, PA), a recipient of a 2024 PPG tool kit. “This will help me cover the cost of those tools and jumpstart my career and help me be better at what I’m doing.”
Last year’s recipients represented the most diverse group of students to-date, demonstrating a growing interest in this field among young women and other underserved populations and the new perspectives they bring promise to strengthen the industry.
Alicia Davis (Lincoln Technical College; Nashville, TN) received a 2024 “Champion” level scholarship from the Women’s Industry Network through CREF and reports, “This has made a big difference in my life. I’m a single mom of four kids, so student loans and tools are a big financial burden for me. I am eternally grateful!”