The Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. Scholarship Program

The Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (www.mhefi.org) is an independent charitable organization that was established in 1976 with a mission to engage and attract students to the material handling, logistics and supply chain industry by providing financial support.  Since 1976, our programs have supported over 1,000 students and educators seeking pathways to quality educational programs and fulfilling careers.  
 
The Foundation offers scholarship award opportunities to undergraduates who are pursuing a material handling, logistics or supply chain career.  The student should clearly demonstrate dedication to achieving excellence, strong leadership skills, potential for future growth as a leader and persistence in the pursuit of education.

Scholarship awards range from $1,500 to $6,000 and must be used for costs relating to tuition, fees and books associated with attending school full-time.  One application allows students to compete for one of the multiple scholarships offered by the Foundation.  Scholarships are one-year awards, and former recipients may re-apply each year if they continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

Traditional undergraduate students as well as employees or family members of member companies or industry associations are eligible to apply.

PLEASE REVIEW THE FOLLOWING STEPS TO APPLY FOR A MHEFI SCHOLARSHIP:

1)  Visit https://MHEFI.smapply.org and register.

2)  Request a nomination from a professor, faculty member or employer by entering the name and email address of your nominator.

3)  Upon receipt of your nomination, you will receive an email to visit https://MHEFI.smapply.org to begin your application.  You will not be able to begin your application until you have been nominated.

Eligible Programs:

Undergraduate students from programs listed below that have a focus on material handling, logistics and/or supply chain management are encouraged to apply:

  • Industrial Engineering
  • Industrial Distribution
  • Mechanical & Electrical Engineering
  • Structural Engineering with a focus on cold-formed steel design
  • Engineering Technology
  • Computer Science related to Material Handling
  • Business & Management related to Material Handling or Supply Chain Management
  • Imaging and Camera Based Vision Systems Identification/Bar Codes/RFID/LIDAR Sensors/RADAR Sensors

Student Eligibility:

For the 2024/2025 academic term, the following students are eligible to apply:

  • Undergraduate students pursuing a material handling, logistics or supply chain career enrolled full time at a qualified college or university in a target program (see list above).  Undergraduate students can be classified as freshman, sophomore, junior or senior for the Fall 2024 term to be eligible.
  • Enrolled at any non-profit college or university in the United States accredited by the Council for Higher Education.
  • All applicants must be full-time students with a "B" grade point average in their major.
  • Applicants must be enrolled in school for the entire academic year (Fall 2024 and Spring 2025) without interruption barring illness, emergency or military service.
  • Scholarship awards cannot be used for study abroad programs/semesters.

Instructions to apply for scholarships:

Applicants must first be nominated by a professor, faculty member or employer (direct supervisor/manager or senior company official).  Students should visit the website here https://MHEFI.smapply.org to register and request a nomination by entering the name and e-mail address of their nominator.  An e-mail will be sent to the nominator and once the nomination form is complete, an e-mail will be sent to the student notifying them to return to the site to begin the scholarship application process.  Please note that students must first be nominated before they can complete and submit their scholarship application.  One application allows students to compete for one of the many available scholarships.

Letters of recommendation are no longer required with this nomination process.

Official transcript of the student's current school and program is also required with the application.  Your school should submit official transcripts via e-mail with a secure download link with printing allowed to dvarner@mhi.org or via regular postal mail directly from the school or transcript organization to Donna Varner at MHEFI, 8720 Red Oak Blvd., Suite 201, Charlotte, NC  28217.  Incoming Freshman students should request a transcript from their former high school.  Please note that we will not accept transcripts directly from the student since the documents cannot be authenticated.

Students may also upload other supporting documentation to demonstrate their commitment and understanding of the material handling, logistics and supply chain industry such as:

  • Resume
  • Research Paper
  • Project Summary
  • White Paper
  • Case Study
  • Video
  • Other

The deadline for completing the scholarship application process is January 31, 2024.
 
Scholarship awards for the 2024/2025 academic term will be announced by April 30, 2024.
 
Questions may be sent to Donna Varner, MHEFI Executive Director, at dvarner@mhi.org.

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