The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) awarded a combined $475,000 to 71 high school and college collision repair programs through its 2026 Benchmark Awards, announced Nov. 4 in Las Vegas during the SEMA Show.
CREF estimates the 2026 awards will benefit more than 3,580 students enrolled in recipient programs this year.
Benchmark Awards pay for tools, equipment and training materials at programs whose school budgets fall short, and those programs supply the entry-level technicians that collision repair facilities, insurers and automakers rely on during a persistent technician shortage.
“Many instructors struggle just to maintain their existing equipment and resources, making
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