Amtrak wants to help you pay for college. Students who are passionate about the railroad industry encourage progressive ideas and are fueling the future of the industry. We admire you and we support you. Check out our academic scholarships if you’re a full-time student who has an active interest in the Railroad.
High speed train pulling into the station with a blue sky in the background.
Future Rides With Us
The National Passenger Corporation, also known as Amtrak, is a corporation striving to deliver a high-quality, safe, on-time rail passenger service that exceeds customer expectations. For 50 years, Amtrak has connected businesses and communities across the country and as Amtrak celebrates its 50th anniversary it looks to the next 50 years and beyond to move America’s workforce toward the future.
The Amtrak Scholarship Program provides academic scholarships to undergraduate and graduate college students who have an active interest in the railroad industry. This program has been established to provide support to help encourage academic achievement within railroad programs, ensuring a future in this industry.
Scholarship Application Minimum Criteria
Student pursing a degree (undergraduate or graduate) as a full-time student.
Must maintain minimum GPA of 2.8 at time of award as proven by official transcript.
Fill out electronic application with contact/personal information.
Submission of resume.
Submission of essay 500 words or less. Each scholarship will have unique questions to answer such as: Importance of Sustainable Development in Rail, Importance of Urban Transportation and Amtrak’s Role, The Impact of Technology on Public Transportation & Diversity in the Railroad.
Candidates are encouraged to submit to more than one scholarship that is available if criteria is met. Only one scholarship awarded per person within the academic year.
All scholarships are paid with the understanding that, unless otherwise indicated, the money will be used for tuition, fees, books, and equipment required for classes to attain a college degree from a college or university.
Scholarship awards will be paid out upon completion of a W-9.
High school students must submit their official H.S. transcripts as well as their college acceptance letter to be fully considered
Scholarships Awarded
Amtrak will award a total of eleven scholarships in the below categories.
$3,000 scholarship for Non-Technical degree candidates
Students majoring in Business, Finance, Marketing, Supply Chain or similar major.
$3,000 scholarships for IT degree candidates
Students must be majoring in Information Technology or Computer Science related.
$5,000 A. Phillip Randolph scholarship
For dependents (children or spouses/civil union partner/domestic partner) of Amtrak employees, retirees, or furloughed employees - Attending or planning to attend college or university.
A. Phillip Randolph scholarship that applicants must provide the name and SAP# of the A. Phillip Randolph member they are a dependent of.
$3,000 scholarships for Engineering degree candidates
Engineering students enrolled in an undergraduate/graduate program nationwide are eligible for this award. Students should have an interest in railroad engineering.
$3,000 scholarships for Women in STEM degree candidates
Identify as a female/woman, Pursuing an undergraduate or master’s degree and majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematic (STEM).
$5,000 scholarship for high school seniors belonging to Hispanic/Latinx heritage.
Who are interested in attending a trade school, vocational school, or associate’s/bachelor’s degree program - Identify as Hispanic or Latinx, Official school acceptance letter.
$5,000 scholarship for African-American high school seniors
Who are interested in attending a trade school, vocational school, or associate’s/bachelor’s degree program - Identify as Black or African American, Official school acceptance letter.
$5,000 Asian Pacific American Islander and Allies Scholarship for high school seniors
Belonging to APA heritage who are interested in attending a trade school, vocational school, or associate’s/bachelor’s degree program - Identify as APA, official school acceptance letter.
Please note, that high school students only qualify for the Hispanic/Latinx heritage, Black or African American heritage, Asian Pacific American Islander and Allies Scholarship and A. Phillip Randolph scholarships.
Deadline to submit scholarship application is January 31,2024 at 11:59pm "Eastern Time"
“I didn’t have to focus on how I was going to pay for school, having that scholarship under my belt improved my resume and my candidacy for different jobs and especially securing an offer with Amtrak.”
What helped me become a recipient was being true and honest to my story. I would also say be creative and leverage the resources around you to create a great response.”
Alyiah EllsWorth
Alyiah Ellsworth:
“I choose to write about the system safety program, knowing that safety is one of Amtrak’s highest priorities. I felt like that was a very important topic and milestone in Amtrak history.”
“I needed the money to finance my last year of college. The scholarship helped me focus on graduating with honors – I graduated Magna Cum Laude.”
Mitchell Taylor
Mitchell Taylor :
"I am extremely thankful for the scholarship from Amtrak. It afforded me the opportunity to take four summer classes and pay for my books this fall. Because of these classes, I am now closer to getting my degree."
