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Grants and Scholarships

The National Fluid Power Association offers scholarships and grants to support fluid power education.

Apply for a Scholarship

Fluid Power Scholarship

NFPA offers multiple $2,500 scholarships to high school seniors, and students enrolled at community colleges, technical colleges, and universities. The Fluid Power Scholarship aims to help students pursue their interests in fluid power. The money awarded is used to study at any accredited technical college or university in the United States.

A completed, eligible application will be evaluated on the following:

  • Submission of an Online Kaleidoscope Application

  • Declaration of a Fluid Power Related Degree Program*

  • A 400-500 Word Essay that Addresses the Following Prompts:

    • Describe your career goals and aspirations. In your response, discuss why you are interested in learning about our technology and how you believe it can support your future success.

    • What experience do you have with fluid power technologies? This could include prior experience, projects you look forward to, or applications of hydraulics or pneumatics that inspire you.

  • A 200 Word Essay that Address the Following Prompt:

    • Please describe your extracurricular activities, community involvement, leadership roles, work or internship experience, and any awards or honors you have received.

  • Minimum 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 Scale

  • Enrollment Verification Document

  • Transcript

  • Letter of Recommendation

*The applicant does not have to be enrolled in a dedicated fluid power degree program but must be enrolled in a relevant program where fluid power is taught. Students enrolled in the following degree programs are welcome to apply (this list is not exhaustive):

  • Agricultural Engineering
  • Agricultural Systems Technology
  • Automation Robotics, Engineering Technology
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • CNC Engineering Technician Certificate
  • Computer Science
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electro-Mechanical Engineering
  • Engineering Design and Mechatronics
  • Engineering Technology
  • Fluid Power Technology
  • Hydraulic Engineering Technician
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Industrial Maintenance Technician
  • Industrial Technology
  • Manufacturing Equipment Technician Certificate
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Mechatronics Certificate
  • Pneumatic Engineering Technician

Past scholarship recipients and applicants are eligible to apply again.
College seniors/graduating applicants: Students graduating in Spring of the 2025-26 academic year are not eligible for a scholarship.
Students enrolled in a Master's or PhD degree program are not eligible for this scholarship.

Applications are currently open! Submit your application by 3/15/2026 at 11:59 PM CDT.

Please contact Haley Nemeth at hnemeth@nfpa.com with any questions. 

Funding for the Fluid Power Scholarship comes, in part, from donors to the Tom Wanke Legacy Fund. Please consider making a donation.

2025 Scholarship Winners

Adrian T
TOUCH
Adrian Tlustochowski University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Adrian TlustochowskiUniversity of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL
Brandon Reshetar
TOUCH
Brandon Reshetar Hennepin Technical College
Brandon ReshetarHennepin Technical College

Brooklyn Park, MN

Carter Worm cropped
TOUCH
Carter Worm Michigan Technological University
Carter WormMichigan Technological University

Houghton, MI

Chandler Folkerts
TOUCH
Chandler Folkerts Bates College
Chandler FolkertsBates College

Lewiston, ME

Cord Akey cropped
TOUCH
Cord Akey Purdue University
Cord AkeyPurdue University

West Lafayette, IN

Raymond Hanley Memorial Award

Daksh Jhanjee
TOUCH
Daksh Jhanjee Georgia Institute of Technology
Daksh JhanjeeGeorgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA

Daniel Lee
TOUCH
Daniel Lee Harvard University
Daniel LeeHarvard University

Cambridge, MA

Devin Digman
TOUCH
Devin Digman University of Wisconsin-Madison
Devin DigmanUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI

Kaitlyn Roman
TOUCH
Kaitlyn Roman Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Kaitlyn RomanMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA

 

Kayla Vallecillo
TOUCH
Kayla Vallecillo University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Kayla VallecilloUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL

Tom Wanke Legacy Fund Award

Keira Boone
TOUCH
Keira Boone Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keira BooneMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA

Tom Wanke Legacy Fund Awardee

Kevin Shen 1
TOUCH
Kevin Shen Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Kevin ShenMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA

Malcolm Smith
TOUCH
Malcolm Smith Stanford University
Malcolm SmithStanford University

Stanford, CA

Miles Carter
TOUCH
Miles Carter Mississippi State University
Miles CarterMississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS

 

Ousmane Headshot
TOUCH
Ousmane Nikiema Milwaukee School of Engineering
Ousmane NikiemaMilwaukee School of Engineering

Milwaukee, WI

Tom Wanke Legacy Fund Award

Rithwick Lakshmanan
TOUCH
Rithwick Lakshmanan Iowa State University
Rithwick LakshmananIowa State University

Ames, IA

Robert Mackey Memorial Award

Shresth Singh
TOUCH
Shresth Singh Duke University
Shresth SinghDuke University

Durham, NC

Steven Hamley
TOUCH
Steven Hamley University of Central Florida
Steven HamleyUniversity of Central Florida

University, Florida

 

Tina Trinh
TOUCH
Tina Trinh Oregon State University
Tina TrinhOregon State University

Corvallis, OR

 

Zachary Mancini
TOUCH
Zachary Mancini Kettering University
Zachary ManciniKettering University

Flint, MI

Apply for a Grant

Fluid Power Grants

NFPA understands the importance of identifying opportunity costs and funding for educational programs. This is why the NFPA Fluid Power Grant was created and can help middle schools, high schools, and community organizations bring fluid power education to students.

Grants up to $500 are available to the schools and community organizations who want help students learn about fluid power through Fluid Power Action Challenge events, the purchase of hands-on fluid power kits, or otherwise enhancing the educational experience involving fluid power. 

If you intend to host or organize a Fluid Power Action Challenge event, please visit our Cost Estimator Example on the Getting Started page. The current Fluid Power Grant application is for activities from July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026.

University Grants

The NFPA Education and Technology Foundation is committed to supporting university-level fluid power education and programs that train the next generation of the fluid power workforce. To help get more university graduates educated in fluid power, the University Fluid Power Grant is designed to provide funding to faculty to add more fluid power curricula to their undergraduate engineering programs.

The University Fluid Power Grant Program is looking for projects that develop curriculum for the General Electrical/Electronic, Data Acquisition, and Controls Competencies identified by our industry as critical to fluid power education. Materials developed under this grant will be shared freely on the NFPA Foundation website for use by other schools.

We will work with applicants to determine funding needed to add curriculum that covers missing competencies. NFPA’s funding year is July 1-June 30. Grants will be awarded until funds are depleted.

The University Grant Program is not accepting applications at this time. 

Project Grants

In response to the increasing need for emerging talent with practical experience, NFPA has established a grant program designed to support the development of hands-on fluid power projects that are cost-effective, replicable, and easy to implement for students at the high school and college level. The primary objectives are to design and pilot the project, finalize the Bill of Materials (BOM) and lesson plans, and develop a ready-to-use, tested curriculum that NFPA can publish and distribute to other schools.

Several project concepts have been validated by industry professionals, and NFPA may assist in connecting grant recipients with industry mentors for additional guidance. Priority will be given to applicants whose final projects are easily replicable, with a cost under $500 for high school projects and $2,000 for university lab courses of 10-15 students. 

Robotics Outreach

The NFPA Robotics Challenge helps encourage high school students to use fluid power in real-world applications while also connecting them to resources that support their pursuit of higher education and fluid power careers.

One way we do this is by bringing an awareness of pneumatic applications in robotics to high school students and to stimulate increased use of fluid power products in these competitions. Teams incorporating pneumatic technology into their competition robot are eligible to apply to NFPA's $500 grant program. 

Do you plan to incorporate pneumatics into your 2026 competition robot? Are you interested in learning more about fluid power from an industry professional?

There are many high school robotics organizations that support the use of pneumatic technology in competitions. Are you looking to get started? Check out their pneumatics resources.