To assist women pursuing education and professional careers in transportation-related fields, the Greater New York Chapter of WTS invites eligible women to apply for the scholarships at the graduate, undergraduate, and high school levels, as appropriate to the individual. 

People identifying as women continue to be under-represented in transportation-related fields. As a result, we will be prioritizing those applicants. Male identifying candidates may still apply and are encouraged to show traits of strong advocacy and allyship in their application.

The Scholarship Committee is hosting a Virtual Scholarships Info Session on Friday, 4/11 at 3:00 PM to discuss available scholarships being offered, application requirements, and Q&A. To register for the virtual info session, please click the following link: https://nyu.zoom.us/meeting/register/oPSU_6OpRu2HPSoHFUTYXg

Scholarship Application Requirements:

• Personal Information
• Educational Background (includes Professional/School Affiliations and requires transcripts/report cards to be uploaded)
• Work Experience (Resume upload optional)
• Personal Statement (500 words or less) & Short Prompt (250 words or less)
• Recommendation Survey: https://bit.ly/WTSGNY2025RECFORM
  • This form is intended for recommenders of WTS-GNY scholarship applicants to fill out. The form will suffice as a traditional recommendation letter. Send the link to your recommender(s) and please include their name in the application. 
• Scholarships (Indicate which scholarships you are applying for)
• Additional Information (optional)

Frequently Asked Questions:
-Are international students eligible? Yes.
-Do applicants need to be WTS members? No. WTS encourages applicants to be members. It is free for students. 
-Can students apply to more than 1 scholarship? Yes.
-For first-year graduate students who do not yet have a GPA, can they provide something else showing they have a 3.0 GPA or higher? Yes, please provide your cumulative undergraduate GPA.
-Do applicants need to be based in NY? Applicants must be attending a NY institution and/or a NY resident. Please refer to WTS- New Jersey Chapter scholarships if your university or primary residency is based in NJ. 
-Can previous scholarship recipients apply again? Yes. 

Application form is located at the following link:

https://bit.ly/WTSGNY2025Scholarships

 

Applications and recommendations must be submitted no later than Friday, June 13th, 2025 at 11:59PM EST.

 

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Graduate Scholarships:

• Helene M. Overly Memorial Scholarship / GNY: Leonard Braun Memorial Scholarship ($5,000)

  The WTS Helene M. Overly Memorial Scholarship was established in 1981 by WTS International to encourage women to pursue career paths in transportation. The scholarship is awarded to women pursuing graduate studies in transportation or a related field. In memory of Helene M. Overly, the first Executive Secretary of WTS, the Board of Directors voted to name the annual WTS graduate scholarship the Helene M. Overly Memorial Scholarship to honor Helene for her dedicated service to WTS. Helene became a WTS member in 1981. She brought with her 15 years of experience in public service, tremendous organizational abilities, and a spirit of determination that helped WTS nearly double its membership in two years.

• National Leadership Legacy Award ($3,000)

  WTS launched the Leadership Legacy Scholarship in 2007. This scholarship is awarded to an outstanding young woman pursuing graduate studies working toward a career in transportation or a related field, and who demonstrates a specific interest in advancing transportation innovation in the international arena. The leadership, skills, and perspectives of women are essential to ensure that the transportation systems of the future respond to the needs of all. Through the Leadership Legacy Scholarship, WTS seeks to motivate and reward women who demonstrate leadership in the industry to bring ideas, innovation, and new approaches to transportation challenges in the US and beyond. It has a sustainable community and public transit focus with emphasis on candidates who are working to rejoin the workforce after some time away from the industry.

• Infra Tech S. David Ali Memorial Graduate Scholarship ($2,500)

  Honoring the founder of Infra Tech Engineering – a traffic engineer who achieved great heights through relentless dedication and absolute commitment to hard work and excellence – this scholarship is awarded to an enterprising young woman who reflects those qualities regardless of obstacles and difficulties.

Undergraduate Scholarships:

• Sharon D. Banks Memorial / GNY: Susan Miszkowicz Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship ($4,000)

  The WTS Sharon D. Banks Memorial Scholarship is awarded to is awarded to encourage bright new professionals to undertake careers in transportation and related fields. The scholarship honors Sharon D. Banks, chief executive officer of AC Transit in Alameda-Contra Costa County, California. As its CEO throughout most of the 1990’s, Banks led the agency in a pioneering effort to introduce cultural and organizational changes aimed at motivating the public-transit work force. She was a member of the WTS Advisory Board and received the WTS San Francisco Chapter Woman of the Year and Employer of the Year awards. 

• Susan L. Kupferman Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship ($3,000)

  The scholarship honors the memory of Susan L. Kupferman, an exceptional New Yorker and dedicated public servant, and aims to encourage women to enter transportation-related careers. Susan was a long-standing member of the WTS Greater New York Chapter. The scholarship will be awarded on an annual basis to a woman who graduated from a New York City high school and is pursuing undergraduate studies in transportation or a related field.

• Molitoris Leadership Scholarship for Undergraduates ($4,000)

  The WTS Molitoris Leadership Scholarship is awarded to women pursuing undergraduate studies in transportation or a related field who demonstrate leadership skills, ability, and interest. The leadership, skills, and perspectives of women are essential to assure that the transportation systems of the future respond to the needs of all. Leadership does not just happen. Leaders personally invest and risk much. They must take on struggles that many would avoid and persevere to reach successful outcomes. These qualities should receive special attention in the selection of the award winner.

• Community College/Technical/Trade Degree Scholarship ($2,500)

  WTS fosters the development of women in the transportation field by encouraging bright new professionals to undertake careers in transportation. One way it does this is by awarding community, technical, or trade college scholarships to women pursuing transportation- related careers. This scholarship is intended for students pursuing an Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s of Technology Degree, or other technical degree in transportation-related studies.
• Infra Tech S. David Ali Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship ($1,000)

  Honoring the founder of Infra Tech Engineering – a traffic engineer who achieved great heights through relentless dedication and absolute commitment to hard work and excellence – this scholarship is awarded to an enterprising young woman who reflects those qualities regardless of obstacles and difficulties.

High School Scholarships:

• Transportation YOU High School Scholarship ($1,500)

  Current high school juniors and seniors that are taking courses in math, science, or technology are invited to apply. This scholarship is named after Transportation YOU. Transportation YOU is a national program offered through WTS chapters that provides a hands-on, interactive, mentoring program that offers young girls ages 13-18 an introduction to a wide variety of transportation careers. The WTS Greater New York Chapter offers this program to Polytechnic High School in downtown Brooklyn. It is not a requirement to be involved with Transportation YOU to apply for this scholarship.

For any additional questions, feel free to contact the WTS-GNY Scholarship Committee at: [email protected].