Career Tech awards more than $20,000 in academic and trade scholarships each year. Career Tech counselors meet with seniors to explain the financial aid process, FASFA application, and review the scholarship application process. Many scholarship opportunities are posted on this site as they become available, so students are encouraged to check back frequently.

Career Tech Scholarships

Academic Scholarships

Academic scholarships are awarded to students who will be attending college or post-secondary vocational training following high school graduation. Each award is $500 with one excellence award of a higher amount.
Apply
Application Deadline: Due to Mrs. Olds by 3:00 p.m., February 28, 2025.

Tools of the Trade Awards

Tools of the Trade Awards are given to students who will attend a post-secondary trade school, other technical training following high school, or who go directly into the workforce. Each award is $500 with one excellence award of a higher amount. Tools of the Trade student requisition form. 
Apply
Application Deadline: Due to Mr. Bialik by 3:00 p.m., February 28, 2025.

Leadership Challenge Scholarship

Two academic scholarships of up to $2,000 each will be awarded. Email Mr. Bialik with questions.
Apply
Application Deadline: Due to the Student Services office by 3:00 p.m., February 28, 2025.

NTHS Scholarship

National Technical Honor Society members are eligible to apply for this $500 scholarship. Email Mrs.Olds with questions.
Apply
Application Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Career Tech Donor-Directed Scholarships

The following are donor-directed scholarships and awards made available through the North Ed Foundation. They are available to students through the Career Tech Academic Scholarship and Tools of the Trade Award applications. You do not need to submit additional applications for these scholarships and awards. Please note specific eligibility requirements in bold for each scholarship or award.

Albert and Mary Education Scholarship

Engineering Academy Student

Al Jordan is a long-standing member as a founder of the Manufacturing Technology Academy (now Engineering Academy) in 1996 and a committed mentor to countless Engineering Academy students ever since.

Allen Joseph Haase Memorial Scholarship

Agriscience Student

Allen Haase was a passionate young man who loved working with plants and immersed himself in our Agriscience program while in high school.  Unfortunately, in his mid 20s, Allen passed away. In memory of their son, Chris & Karen Haase established the Allen Haase Memorial Scholarship.

Beulah Sigsbey Memorial Scholarship 

As a longtime custodian at Career Tech, Pat Sigsbey has faithfully served our students for years. When his mother passed away in 2023, Pat wanted to honor her memory by continuing to support our students in their academic and career pursuits after they leave Career Tech through the Beulah Sigsbey Memorial Scholarship.

Career Tech Golf Poster Awards

Graphic Arts Students

Students whose designs are selected for the Annual Career Tech Golf Outing will be awarded these as Academic Scholarships or Tools of the Trade Awards.

Dan & Janice Schoonmaker Academic Scholarship and Tools of the Trade Award

The Schoonmaker scholarships are given by Dan & Janice Schoonmaker.  They are friends of Career Tech and believe in providing young people with an opportunity to learn a trade or skill.

Dick Asiala Memorial Scholarship

Teacher Academy Student

Dick Asiala retired from his 40-year career in education in 1993 after serving as superintendent of TBAISD (now known as Northwest Education Services). Dick was a distinguished speech therapist, teacher, and outstanding administrator who demonstrated unwavering support to youth. He served as a great role model to the superintendents who followed in his path and who, along with his family and friends, helped to establish this scholarship in his honor.

Douglas Keith Memorial Scholarship

Auto Repair or Collision Repair Student

Douglas Keith grew up on a farm in northeast Iowa during the Great Depression and learned basic mechanical skills on the farm.  After high school, he was hired as a mechanic at a small Ford dealership and then bought the business a few years later in 1951 at the age of 22.  In 1959, Keith Motor Co. burned down, so he rebuilt it from the ground up.  Mr. Keith was respected as an honest, trustworthy car dealer and mechanic.  Although he ran the business, his first love was always tinkering under the hood of anything with a motor.  Mr. Keith died of Alzheimer’s Disease in 1993 at the age of 64.

Elementary Education Scholarship

Early Ed or Teacher Academy Student

The Early Education Scholarship is granted to a student who intends to pursue teaching children at their first exposure to school.

Eric Newberg Construction Trades Scholarship

Construction Student

This scholarship is given in the honor of Eric Newberg who is a skilled trades person in Benzie County. 

Free n Joy Scholarship

Film New Media or Writer’s Studio Student

Nathan Scherrer grew up in Northport, and graduated from Northport Public School. Nathan planned to continue his education in Engineering. While at the University of Michigan he took a film course and found that he loved it. He moved to California and followed his passion to be in the film industry. He now owns FREENJOY, a successful Video Production Company in California and produces music videos for Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Coldplay, Pharrell Williams, and many more. Nathan would like to give back by helping students who demonstrate a passion for the Film industry.

Harold Emerson Memorial Scholarship

Auto Repair Student

Harold Emerson was a paraprofessional in our Automotive program many years ago.  His children said, upon his death, that his work at Career Tech was among his most fulfilling work experiences of his life, and he just loved sharing his knowledge with young people.  In his memory, they established the Harold Emerson Memorial Scholarship.

Herb Domres Memorial Scholarship

Herb Domres was a man of great natural ability who specialized in all things mechanical but especially John Deere equipment and the field of hydraulics.  Upon his death, his wife and daughter, along with their families, established the Herb Domres Memorial Scholarship for an individual with good attendance, a strong work ethic, self-motivation, and a willingness to help others.

Jack & Barb Drew Memorial Scholarship

Benzie County Student

Jack Drew was a longtime Director of Career Technical Education in Wayne County and a local advocate for Career Technical Education. Jack helped to establish and pass a five-county millage election to fund the NorthEd Career Tech.  Jacked passed away in December 2023. He and his wife wanted to help students in Benzie County in achieving their dreams. 

Jim Huge Leadership Scholarship

Teacher Academy Student

Jim Huge (pronounced Hew-gee) was an outstanding teacher, coach, principal, superintendent, and national thought leader in the field of educational leadership. As all great teachers, Jim had an incredible capacity to establish warm, rich and nurturing relationships with all those he taught, coached, and mentored. After his death in 2024, his family and friends committed this scholarship to an outstanding graduate of the Teacher Academy.

Kevin & Sharron Gay Tools of the Trade Award

These awards are given by Kevin and Sharron Gay. They are supporters of Career Tech and believe that providing young people in the trades with the tools they need to succeed is important.

Lake Ann Lions Club Tools of the Trade Award

The Lions Club International’s mission is “To empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding.”  Each year, the Lake Ann Lions Club hosts a pancake breakfast and a golf outing to raise funds, much of which goes to our students.  Even though Ron Gray passed this last year, the legacy of generosity he and Jim Morse began years ago continues to provide these awards.

Mary Savage Academic Scholarship

Female Student in a Non-traditional Career Pathway

Mary Savage worked for North Ed in our Tech Services Department before her death from cancer in 2016.  As a young mother of 3 daughters, Mary went back to school to pursue a computer science degree when few women were in the technical workforce. In her memory, her daughters established the Mary Savage Memorial Scholarship for a young woman who, like her, finds passion in technology.

Mike & Judy Walls Tools of the Trade Award

Michael and Judy Walls had varied careers that always came back to doing what they could for the well-being of others. They rose to national prominence in their respective fields  - Mike in education and Judy in real estate. Judy died in 2016. Mike established this award to support kids who may need assistance  in starting their careers.

Paul Safina Character & Achievement Scholarship

Precision Machining or Robotics & Automation Student

The Paul Safina Character & Achievement Scholarship will be awarded to one student each year who demonstrates a love for learning, a belief in hard work, and a resilience that mirrors that of Mr. Paul Safina, a legendary volunteer of 17 years at Career Tech. The student who earns this scholarship should share Paulie's belief that dedication conquers doubt and that service to ourselves, our skills, and our community is the truest reward.

Richard & May Purvis Memorial Scholarship

Welding Student

Rich Purvis was trained to weld at General Motors Institute and served our country welding airplanes during WWII.  He started his own shop and, after selling it, worked as a parapro in our welding program.  Rich was a little bit of everything; welder, city councilman, mayor, Boy Scout Scoutmaster, a great husband, dad, and member of the community.  After his death at the age of 100, a memorial scholarship was established in his name.

Riopelle-Dowden Technical Scholarship (GT Regional Foundation) 

The Riopelle/ Dowden Technical Scholarship Endowment supports annual scholarship awards for students from the five-county area that are enrolled, or planning to enroll, in an associate's degree, certificate, or apprenticeship program.