Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association

Introduction
SparkForce is the charitable arm of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association and was formerly known as Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (NBT). Although the name has been updated, the foundation’s goal remains the same: to spark interest in manufacturing, help people discover career paths in the industry, and support their pursuit of manufacturing-focused education and training.

Who may apply
Students enrolled at community colleges, trade or technical schools, or universities who are working toward degrees or certifications that lead to careers in manufacturing are encouraged to apply.

Featured scholarships
- U.K. Gupta & Family Scholarship — Up to $2,000 per semester. Preference will be given to applicants attending universities located in North Texas.
- John Grossheim Memorial Scholarship — Up to $2,000 per semester. Preference is given to employees of FMA member companies and their dependents. This scholarship is supported through the Outside Processors Council (OPC) Endowment.

Application review timeline
Applications are evaluated twice yearly. Decisions for awards to be used in the fall semester are made in May; decisions for spring semester awards are made in November.

Minimum eligibility requirements
To be considered, applicants must meet all of the following:
- Be pursuing an approved field of study related to manufacturing (degree or certificate).
- Be enrolled, or planning to enroll, in a manufacturing-related program for the semester to which the scholarship would apply.
- Be a full-time student (12 or more credit hours) OR a part-time student taking at least 6 credit hours while also working.
- Maintain a minimum GPA of:
- 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) for community, trade, or technical college students, or
- 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for university students.
- Submit a completed application and an official transcript from the school where a full semester was most recently completed. Only transcripts received with the application or postmarked by the application deadline will be accepted.

Application submission instructions
- Complete and submit the online scholarship application.
- Upload or provide an official high school or college transcript from the institution at which you last completed a full semester. Transcripts can be uploaded with your application, mailed, or sent electronically through services such as Parchment or the National Student Clearinghouse.
- If mailing, send transcripts to:
SparkForce Foundation
2135 Point Boulevard
Elgin, IL 60123
- Allow sufficient time for mailed documents to arrive by the deadline; only transcripts received with the application or postmarked by the deadline will be considered.

If selected for an award
Scholarship recipients will be contacted by email and must complete the following before funds are disbursed:
- Sign and return a scholarship award acceptance form.
- Provide a headshot photograph and a signed photo release.
- Activate a complimentary one‑year Student membership with the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA) (value: $27) if not already a member.
- Optionally provide contact details for local media.

Use of scholarship funds and program guidelines
- The SparkForce Board of Directors sets the number and value of awards each year, and may add new scholarships or change approved fields of study.
- Applications that meet eligibility requirements are reviewed and scored by a volunteer panel of donors, industry partners, and manufacturing professionals.
- Scholarship payments are sent directly to the financial aid or bursar’s office at the recipient’s educational institution. Payments are not mailed to students, parents, or faculty.
- Funds may be applied to tuition, mandatory school fees, books purchased through the college bookstore, and required tools or equipment (for example, PPE) if they are available for purchase through the college store. Funds may not be used for housing, meals, or other non‑program-related expenses.
- With written authorization from SparkForce, award funds may be retained for use in a later school term beyond the year in which they were originally granted.
- Recipients must notify SparkForce promptly of any changes to their mailing address, phone number, or email address. Update information may be sent to foundation@fmamfg.org or by calling (815) 399-8700.
- SparkForce will track and maintain records of all scholarship donations and disbursements.
- Employees, directors, officers of FMA, FMAC, SparkForce, or members of SparkForce selection committees — and their immediate family members — are ineligible to apply.
- SparkForce reserves the right to investigate suspected misuse of funds and to recover disbursed funds if misuse is confirmed.

Contact
For questions or to report contact changes, email foundation@fmamfg.org or call (815) 399-8700.