NCTA has provided up to nine scholarships annually to several universities representing the service territories of our members. The faculty of the university then chooses the deserving student in transportation studies or engineering studies. Starting in 2003, NCTA implemented a program of providing scholarships to students who are children of employees of NCTA member companies. Currently four of these at-large scholarships are awarded. The 2007 scholarship winners are featured in the latest edition of the Coal Transporter, the official publication of the NCTA.

Greg Henshaw of Southern Company is the Chairman of the Education Committee. He is constantly looking at policy changes that will make the Education Committee and Scholarship program more responsive to the future of the coal transportation industry.

Universities that are currently cooperating with NCTA in the scholarship program are the University of Arizona, the Colorado School of Mines, and the University of Wyoming. The NCTA is in active discussion with at least three other schools with the intention of increasing the number of scholarships awarded.

The NCTA is proud to support the next generation and to share its philosophy of education and cooperation as the best way to move forward in an extremely important and challenging industry. We encourage members to participate in scholarship award ceremonies and to spread the word within their own organizations that scholarships are available.