OOIDA opens applications for Mary Johnston Scholarship Fund

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is offering scholarships for members’ children through the OOIDA Mary Johnston Scholarship Fund. Applications are currently open, with a postmark deadline of Feb. 1, 2026.

Established in 1998, the OOIDA Mary Johnston Scholarship Fund is open to children, grandchildren, and legal dependents of OOIDA members who are planning to attend college or a trade school. Applicants must be at least a high school senior and no older than 22.

Five scholarships are awarded, including one $2,000 amount and four $1,000 awards. Truck drivers who aren’t currently OOIDA members must join the association before their children are eligible to participate.

To apply, students must complete the application and submit a 500-word essay on the following questions:

• What are three positive aspects of the influence of the trucker in your life?
• How does your choice of an educational goal utilize the strongest attributes of your personality?
• What changes do you see on the road, in five or 10 years, that would improve the trucking industry?

Additionally, students must include their high school or college transcript, proof of their enrollment in college or a trade school, and a photo. The application and cover letter forms are available for download on the OOIDA’s website.

After submission, the OOIDA Scholarship Committee does a blind evaluation of students’ essays and supporting documents. Scholarship recipients will be notified after the Association’s spring Board Meeting, and once the OOIDA verifies a student’s enrollment in an institution, they’ll deposit the scholarship funds directly into the student’s account at their school. Those funds will then be available during the first week of August. Also, each scholarship is renewable for up to three more years, as long as the student completes an annual renewal form.