The NRC awards scholarships each year to provide higher-education tuition assistance for children or grandchildren of employees of NRC member companies. The scholarships were established by NRC members to honor the memory of two former NRC members –Vinnie Vaccarello (Co-President of All Railroad Services Corp.) and Patsy Crisafi (Executive Vice President of Roadway Worker Training, Inc.) – who were killed in a small plane crash. Since 2013, the NRC has awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships to eligible students.

‍Award Details - Scholarship funds in the following amounts are sent directly to the student winners at the beginning of the next term of study:

• First-place award of $12,000,
• Second-place award of $6,000.
• Third place award of $3,000.
  

Eligibility - Applicants must meet these qualifications to be eligible for the scholarships:

• Be a son, daughter, grandson, or granddaughter of a current employee of an NRC Member Company;
• Be enrolled at the time of application as a full-time college student at an accredited two-year college offering an associate's degree or an accredited four-year college or university offering a bachelor's degree, or as a recently graduated high school senior that is enrolled to start college the following fall.
• Must be enrolled at a qualified school for a full year following receipt of the award.
• Previous NRC Scholarship winners are eligible to apply for a scholarship if they still meet the requirements noted above.

Applications – Applicants should review all materials before submitting applications. Any application deemed incomplete will not be graded or considered eligible for an award.

• Application - Applicants must submit the following items in one pdf: 1) completed application, 2) reference letter on the member company letterhead, 3) office school transcript, 4) Essay on the following topic that is 500 words or less:
  Due to many external variables, the volatility facing railroad contractors in the present market is unprecedented. Citing at least three different sources, please explain in detail how railroad contractors are working thru these difficult times, what is being done to combat this period of extraordinary conditions, what innovations have resulted, and are these changes temporary or are we seeing a paradigm shift in the industry.
  Review the application pdf for more specific instructions.

Deadline – The 2022 application deadline has closed. Application details for next year will be announced in the spring of 2023.

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