The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division-International Brotherhood of Teamsters (BMWED) is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2025-26 academic year. Also, the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) has added two universities to its annual Joanne F. Casey Scholarship Program.
BMWED on Jan. 6 reported offering six scholarships in the amount of $5,000 each, to be awarded annually to members or eligible dependents enrolled or scheduled to enroll in an accredited college, university, or vocational trade school. All applications can be submitted online and will be accepted through March 31, 2025. According to the union, applicants will be notified by May 1 whether or not they have received a scholarship.
To be eligible, BMWED said that the following criteria must be met:
- “Applicant must be a dependent of a BMWED member in good standing who is currently enrolled in an accredited college or university, or a full-time undergraduate or graduate student enrolled at an accredited college or university and high school seniors (12th grade) planning to enroll; or
- “Applicant must be a dependent of a BMWED member in good standing who is currently enrolled an accredited vocational and trade school programs and high school seniors (12th grade) planning to enroll; or
- “Applicant must be a BMWED member in good standing who is enrolled or planning to enroll as an undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited college or university.”
According to the union, the children or financial dependents of full-time BMWED union officers (National Division Officers or System Division/Federation Officers) or full-time staff are ineligible. Also, students who have been awarded the BMWED scholarship previously are no longer eligible to apply.
IANA on Jan. 3 reported adding two schools to its Joanne F. Casey Scholarship Program, which supports students in university programs focused on freight and intermodal transportation. University of Houston and Mississippi State University “offer a comprehensive curriculum in logistics and transportation, including intermodal,” the association said. Together, they bring the total number of participating institutions to 15. The other schools are California State University at Long Beach; California State University Maritime Academy; College of Charleston; Georgia Southern University; NC A&T State University; SUNY Maritime College; University of Arkansas; University of Maryland; University of North Florida; University of North Texas; University of Tennessee, Knoxville; University of Wisconsin–Superior; and the Transportation & Supply Chain Institute at the University of Denver (TSCI), a graduate-only program.
The Joanne F. Casey Scholarship Program “seeks to progress the education of the intermodal freight transportation industry’s next generation of leaders and managers by providing students with opportunities to attend Intermodal EXPO, take study trips to intermodal facilities across the U.S., participate in academic case competitions, interact with transportation executives, and conduct intermodal freight research,” according to IANA. The program was renamed last year in honor of the association’s chief executive Joni Casey, who retired at the end of 2024 after 27 years of leadership.
Since its inception in 2007, the program has awarded more than $5.9 million to students.
“I congratulate our newest collegiate additions to the Scholarship Program, the University of Houston and Mississippi State,” said Anne Reinke, who took over this year as IANA’s President and CEO. “The funding advances education for the next generation of intermodalists who will move the industry forward.”
