Nordson BUILDS Scholarship Program (Nordson BUILDS)
Questions and Answers
Q.
What scholarships are available?
A.
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.
Q.
What majors are preferred?
A.
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.
Q.
What is Nordson Corporation?
A.
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.
Q.
How do I apply?
A.
Complete the online application on the Nordson BUILDS Scholarship Program (Nordson BUILDS) website (www.ofic.org/smr/nordson) by clicking "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 2024-25 student financial aid award letter or FAFSA Submission Summary (formerly SAR) is May 15, 2024. Nordson BUILDS Scholars applying for renewal of their current scholarship need to also upload a copy of their resume.
Q.
Are international students eligible to apply?
A.
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.
Q.
Are graduate students eligible to apply?
A.
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.
What are OFIC and SMR?
A.
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.
Q.
Is applying online safe?
A.
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.
Q.
How do you decide who will receive the awards?
A.
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.
Q.
How and when will students be notified of decisions?
A.
All applicants will be notified of the final results by July 1, 2024 via email.
Q.
How and when will the awards be paid?
A.
Award funds will be distributed directly to the scholars' institutions at the end of July 2024. It is the student’s responsibility to make payment arrangements with their institution.
Q.
Are these scholarships automatically renewed?
A.
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.
Q.
What if I have additional questions?
A.
Please email your questions to scholarships@ofic.org and reference Nordson BUILDS.
You may also visit http://www.nordson.com/builds for more information.
Application available January 15th.