Over the past several years an increasing number of graduating high school seniors are choosing to enroll in skilled trades training over the traditional four-year college degrees, driven by the lower costs of trade training, not carrying a massive student loan for decades, and faster entry into the work force that seems desperate for skilled workers. 

Trade school programs usually take from six to twenty-four months to complete, and the cost generally totals less than $20,000. Often called the “tool belt generation” Gen Z (those born between 1997-2012) is driving the surge in enrollment for fields like carpentry, construction, plumbing welding, and mechanics with some trade schools seeing a forty-three percent increase in enrollment over the last decade-and the demand for these skilled trades people continues to grow. Scholarship opportunities are crucial for all graduating seniors as they begin their higher education journey.

The Community Foundation of Orange, Sullivan, and Rockland has trade-related scholarships available for vocational, technical, and trade programs. Some scholarships are designated for certain towns or counties, and you can apply online by registering and using the specific access code before the extended April 30^th deadline. Most of the Foundation’s one hundred and seventy-five scholarship opportunities require the applicant to complete a Universal Scholarship Eligibility Application online and once that is completed students can access what they qualify for by using the ten-digit access code listed at the bottom of their Universal Application. Each scholarship opportunity listed requires its own application in addition to the Universal Application. 

The Jason H. Goldstein Memorial Scholarship is available for those interested in woodworking fields, cabinetry and furniture making along with construction. All Sullivan County graduates are eligible. 

The Joshua D. Glantz Scholarship is for Eldred Central School graduates interested in pursuing trades and applied technology. The Sullivan County Bar Association/ Ira Jay Cohen Scholarship is open to all Sullivan County graduates interested in law and public service careers. 

The Elizabeth and Earl Wilde Cornell Cooperative Extension scholarship is available to all Sullivan County graduates who want to pursue a career in agriculture. 

The Community Foundation established in 1999 is a tax exempt non-profit philanthropic organization that connects donors and small family foundations with local community causes in the Hudson Valley and the Catskills, and over the past twenty-seven years it has distributed nearly forty-six million dollars in grants, scholarships, and emergency assistance. The Foundation manages over six hundred charitable funds and small family trusts. To reach the Community Foundation go to cfosrny.org/apply-for-scholarships/.