Nordson BUILDS Scholarship Program (Nordson BUILDS):

Building Success in Education and Career

Welcome to the Nordson BUILDS Scholarship Program (Nordson BUILDS) home page!

At Nordson, we believe it’s our responsibility to make a positive impact in the communities where we live and work. We do that in many ways, including support for education to ensure students in our communities have access to opportunities to build a brighter future for themselves.

The mission of Nordson BUILDS is to attract and develop a diverse, highly-skilled talent pool for careers in the manufacturing industry.  It is designed to help bright and motivated students access and complete postsecondary education by lessening the financial barriers of enrolling in college for many, and decreasing the loan burden for individuals that apply for financial aid.  Students must demonstrate financial need by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or equivalent to be eligible to receive a Nordson BUILDS Scholarship. 

Manufacturers need engineers, scientists, production technicians, lawyers, financial analysts, IT specialists, accountants, salespeople, marketing and human resource professionals: all types of bright and talented people to succeed. 

Nordson Corporation provides three categories of scholarships: Career & Technical, University Scholars, and Creating Equity in Industry. These manufacturing industry scholarships are targeted at individuals whose permanent residence or college is near a Nordson facility, and are pursuing majors in manufacturing, engineering-related STEM disciplines, or business leading to a career in industry and corporate America. Scholarships ranging from $4,000 to $10,000 will be awarded to students planning to enroll or already enrolled in an accredited public or private not-for-profit postsecondary institution including a 4-year college/university, 2-year community college or trade school.

Selection will be based on an overall assessment of academic performance, leadership skills, character, community service, school involvement, and the applicant's career/college major fit.

Nordson delivers innovative precision technology solutions to our customers, helping them succeed and adding value to countless products people use every day. Collaboration drives our success as a market leader, an employer of choice and an outstanding corporate citizen. Our employees thrive in a team environment where we enable each other to continuously improve and grow. In each of our interactions, we strive to bring integrity, respect for others, passion, energy and excellence.

Nordson Corporation has partnered with OFIC’s (Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges) Scholarship Management Resources (SMR), an independent scholarship services provider to manage the scholarship program, including selecting the recipients. This ensures a fair and objective-based selection process. The number of recipients will be determined by the number of applications received and the quality of the applications.

The Nordson BUILDS scholarship application is available online between January 15 and May 15 each year. The deadline to apply is May 15.

Children/dependents of Nordson employees are also eligible to apply.

Any questions may be forwarded to scholarships@ofic.org

Online application will be available January 15th.

Nordson Locations

Below, is a list of cities where Nordson offices and/or production facilities are located and relevant majors hired at those locations.  Nordson BUILDS scholarship winners may also apply for summer internship positions in select locations. Nordson has a limited number of summer internships each year for which BUILDS Scholars may apply.

Nordson Locations Across the United States

Carlsbad, California – Engineering, Manufacturing, Business (Accounting, Finance Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain) majors

Huntington Beach, California - Engineering (Biomedical, Mechanical, Industrial) majors

Ventura, California - Engineering, Manufacturing majors

Vista, California - Engineering, Manufacturing majors

Loveland, Colorado – Engineering (Biomedical, Mechanical, Industrial), Manufacturing, Business (Accounting, Finance, Supply Chain) majors

Norwich, Connecticut - Engineering (Biomedical, Mechanical, Industrial), Manufacturing, Business majors

Duluth, Georgia – Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Accounting, Finance majors

Swainsboro, Georgia – Engineering, Manufacturing majors

Elk Grove Village, Illinois – Engineering, Manufacturing majors

Wixom, Michigan – Engineering, Manufacturing majors

Minneapolis, Minnesota – Engineering (Biomedical, Mechanical, Industrial), Manufacturing majors

Salem, New Hampshire - Engineering (Biomedical, Mechanical, Industrial), Business (Accounting, Finance, Supply Chain, Sales, Marketing) majors

Hickory, North Carolina - Engineering majors

Amherst, Ohio – Engineering, Manufacturing, IT, Business majors (Finance, Accounting, Marketing, Human Resources, Supply Chain) majors

Austintown, Ohio – Engineering, Manufacturing majors

Dayton, Ohio – Engineering, Manufacturing, Business (Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain) majors

Westlake, Ohio (Headquarters) – Business (Accounting, Finance, Marketing/Communications) majors

Easton, Pennsylvania – Engineering, Manufacturing majors

East Providence, Rhode Island – Engineering, Manufacturing, Business (Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Sales) majors

Chattanooga, Tennessee - Engineering (Biomedical, Mechanical, Industrial, Quality), Manufacturing majors

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin - Engineering, Manufacturing, Business (Accounting, Finance) majors

Q&A’s

  • There are three categories of Nordson BUILDS scholarships:

    Career and Technical Scholarships (CTS)

    Awarded to students pursuing credit-based certificates or associate degrees at an accredited community college or trade school. Minimum 2.7 g.p.a.

    University Scholars Scholarships (USS)

    Awarded to students pursuing four-year degrees at accredited colleges or universities. Minimum 3.0 g.p.a.

    Creating Equity in Industry Scholarships (CEIS)

    Awarded to underrepresented students as part of our goal to promote racial and gender equity and develop a diverse manufacturing workforce. Minimum 3.0 g.p.a.

  • Complete the online application on the Nordson BUILDS Scholarship Program (Nordson BUILDS) website (www.ofic.org/smr/nordson) by clicking " begin online application". It is not necessary to apply to each scholarship individually (CEIS, CTS, USS).

    The deadline for submission of the online application including upload of your academic transcript, one letter of recommendation, and a copy of your 2025-26 student financial aid award letter or FAFSA Submission Summary (formerly SAR) is May 15, 2025  Nordson BUILDS Scholars applying for renewal of their current scholarship need to also upload a copy of their resume. 

  • CTS:

    Preferred programs of study include Engineering, including Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial and Software, Engineering Technology, Information Technology, Machining, and Manufacturing Operations. 

    USS and CEIS:

    Preferred programs of study include Engineering, Manufacturing Operations, Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Industrial Management, Information Technology, and engineering-related STEM majors leading to a career in industry.

  • Selection will be based on an overall assessment of academic performance, leadership skills, character, community service, school involvement, and the applicant's career/college major fit. You must demonstrate financial need by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or equivalent in order to be considered for a Nordson BUILDS Scholarship.

  • All applicants will be notified of the final results by July 1, 2025 via email.

  • Award funds will be distributed directly to the scholars' institutions at the end of July 2025.  It is the student’s responsibility to make payment arrangements with their institution.

  • No, Nordson BUILDS Scholars must reapply for consideration each year and along with the other required materials, need to submit a copy of their current resume.

  • Yes. Your personally identifiable information is kept secure. Only OFIC authorized employees and agents (who have agreed to keep information secure and confidential) have access to this information. To protect the information being gathered, the scholarship application site has security measures in place including firewalls, encryption, and authenticated access to internal databases where needed.

  • Yes, students with an F-1 or M-1 visa may apply for a BUILDS Scholarship. International students do not have to provide the FAFSA Submission Summary to demonstrate financial need, though they should upload a financial award letter from their campus or tuition statement that shows their expected cost of attendance. Special consideration will be given to F-1 or M-1 students planning to apply for STEM OPT.

  • Yes, College Now students are eligible and encourage to apply.

  • Yes, graduate students may be considered for the USS or CEIS awards (see above), particularly if their majors or career paths are in alignment with the Nordson Corporation.

  • Founded in 1954 in Amherst, Ohio, Nordson Corporation delivers precision technology solutions to help customers succeed worldwide.  Over the course of its more than 50 years in business, Nordson Corporation has grown from a local company with sales under $1 million, to a multinational organization with sales in excess of $2 billion and direct operations in more than 30 countries.

  • The Nordson BUILDS Scholarship Program (Nordson BUILDS) is administered through Scholarship Management Resources (SMR), a division of OFIC.  Scholarships managed through SMR are open to students from any state attending an accredited, not-for-profit college or university. The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) was founded in 1950 and conducts annual solicitations of corporations and foundations to benefit its 33 member private colleges and universities. The majority of funds raised support student scholarships.