A program of the Midwest Building Suppliers Association

Applications Now Closed

Named to honor the memory of Blair F. Collings of Rockville, Indiana, this MBSA scholarship collectively represents one of the largest academic scholarship programs among lumber and building material associations in the country. Blair Collings, who died November 26, 1998, was the son of Joseph R. Collings, Charter President of MBSA.

The funding for the scholarship program, including all amounts awarded, is derived from the volunteer efforts of leaders of MBSA. The main fundraising events for the program are the Sycamore Scramble Golf Outing in Indiana, and the White Pine Classic in Michigan, both held every summer.

Who is eligible to apply?

Anyone with a relationship to a member firm of MBSA, including retail and associate, is eligible to apply, regardless of applicant’s career choice, course of study, or grade level.

Students can be awarded this scholarship a maximum of 3 times during their collegiate career.

How are the applications judged?

The applications are reviewed and studied by the Scholarship Review Committee. The criteria they use in their determination of awards include (but not limited to) grade-point average; leadership activities engaged/skills demonstrated; and extracurricular/campus activities.  The Committee does not know the identity of the applicants, as all identifying data on the applications is masked.  This way, the judging is completely “blind”.

What is the amount of the individual awards, and how many are there? 

This is a variable that is unknown until all applications are in, and the deadline passed.  The total amount of the awards is pre-determined by the MBSA Board of Directors, and the number of individual awards, and the amount of each, is determined by the applicant placement on the score spectrum.

Applications must be received by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on May 31st, 2024

GUILDELINES FOR SUMBISSION

Letters of Recommendation –  Please note – Your two letters must be uploaded to your application at the time of submission. At least one of the letters must be from an MBSA member in good standing (both can be if you like). The second one can be from a school counselor, teacher, employer, family friend – almost anyone who will be able to “tell your story” and show why you should be considered.

Transcripts – You can submit a PDF of the online (“unofficial”) transcripts from the student web portal if your college or university has them available to you in that format. Just like the letters of recommendation, the transcript MUST be uploaded to your application at the time of submission.

If you are an entering freshman this year, send your high school transcript. If you will be entering your sophomore, junior, or senior in college this summer/fall, please send only college transcripts.

Leadership Experience – You will fill in a section on the form outlining any extracurricular activities, honors, awards, or leadership positions you’ve held.

Essay – Provide a one-page essay that addresses the following points:

  • Describe your professional/career goals in detail. Include your future plans, and how you intend to achieve these goals.
  • Describe why you have chosen your particular field of study: why it interests you and how you will use this course of study/education to realize your goals.