Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers (CARS)
Get up to $2,500 for your university degree or college diploma if a family member works for a company that belongs to the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers — apply by the last business day of April.
Published by G Paul · last checked September 26, 2026
You can receive up to $2,500 for one scholastic year from one of two CARS scholarships: the Continuing Education/Career in Rail Scholarship or the Women in Rail Scholarship (for female students). You apply for one of them, and the final amount is distributed at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are a student pursuing a railroad career or a discipline that benefits the rail industry, and you have a direct connection to the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers (CARS — the national trade association for rail suppliers). You must submit your application prior to April 30th of any given year. No specific notification date is posted publicly — check the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers website or contact their office to confirm when you will hear back about your application. The Scholarship Committee reviews and grades all applications based on their own internal guidelines. Selection criteria aren't published — ask Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers during your application how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. Each scholarship is awarded for one scholastic year.
You are eligible if you are undertaking a university degree or college diploma in a discipline that will ultimately benefit the rail industry. You must be a member of the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers in good standing for two or more consecutive years, or be the spouse, child, or grandchild of a member who has been in good standing for two or more consecutive years. CARS members are companies and organizations: the 2026 application form asks which member organization employs your family member, and says applicants must be related to an employee of a company or organization that is a CARS member in good standing. The Women in Rail Scholarship is for female students. CARS also offers a free student membership to post-secondary students, and its student page says registered student members are eligible to apply for these scholarships. Note that this fund is not open to members of the CARS Executive from the current and previous year, CARS Past Presidents for two years following their presidency, members of the CARS Board of Directors, or members of the CARS Scholarship Committee.
This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.
Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.
Your school's registrar can take a week or two.
Give your referees at least two weeks' notice, and send them your résumé.
Be specific about what you did and what changed because of it. Proofread it twice.
Save a copy, and submit at least a day before the deadline shown above.
Use the Apply on the official site button on this page: it opens the official application page in a new tab.
Applications close on April 30, 2027. Submit a day or two early: application sites get busy at the end.
Check the award's official page for the citizenship rules.
FundMyCourse.ca · checked Sep 26, 2026
fundmycourse.ca/scholarships/cars-scholarship-fund-canadian-association-of-railway-suppliers