TechForce reports record growth and scholarships in 2025
TechForce Foundation has released its 2025 Annual Report, underscoring a year of record growth and partnership as the nonprofit works to address both the student debt crisis and skill gap in the workforce. In 2025, TechForce awarded $6.5 million in scholarships to 1,981 students across 333 schools nationwide, nearly tripling scholarship dollars and supporting roughly 50% more students at more schools than just two years ago.
However, demand continues to outpace funding, with nearly 12,000 students applying and only one in six applicants able to be supported.
Five years after launching its digital career platform, TechForce now serves nearly 90,000 users as of Feb. 1, 2026, with student enrollment growing 74% year over year.
Scholarships are backed by major OEM partners and industry leaders committed to strengthening the technician pipeline. Among this year’s recipients is Angel G., who received the Daimler Truck scholarship. A Texas family man who rediscovered his passion for hands-on mechanical work after time in automotive manufacturing, he is now pursuing a future in trucking and diesel technology.
Colton H., a Dodge/Stellantis scholarship recipient and leukemia survivor, was once given just 10 days to live at age eight and is now thriving in school as he works toward becoming a skilled technician. Many recipients are adult learners and displaced workers, including individuals whose previous roles were eliminated by automation or AI.
“We’ve cracked the code,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “While America debates the student debt crisis and the skills gap, TechForce Foundation has built a proven change model that addresses both, at scale. We're helping students
navigate pathways to family-sustaining careers while filling the million-plus unfilled jobs in the skilled trades.”
Maher emphasized that TechForce’s approach goes beyond tuition support. “We provide wraparound support, scholarships, tools, transportation, professional gear, mentorship, and direct job connections, eliminating barriers between a motivated young person and a highly-skilled, well-paying, in-demand career," she said. "We address the hidden costs that cause 40% of technical students to drop out."
About the Author
Lucas Roberto
Lucas Roberto is an Associate Editor for Fleet Maintenance magazine. He has written and produced multimedia content over the past few years and is a newcomer to the commercial vehicle industry. He holds a bachelor's in media production and a master's in communication from High Point University in North Carolina.