The Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association (INEDA) has awarded $80,000 in scholarships for the 2022-2023 academic year to students in Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado and South Dakota pursuing career opportunities in the equipment industry.

The Andrew Goodman Scholarship Program was created to address the shortage of dealership personnel and to attract and nurture homegrown talent. This dealer-driven scholarship program helps dealers financially support and train those aspiring toward management, technical, sales or administrative positions within the dealership.

"Making a positive impact with students and connecting them with our implement dealers has led to many successful outcomes with our scholarship program," said INEDA President and CEO Mark Hennessey.

"Our scholarships have eased the financial pressures that students and parents face when pursuing post-secondary education. We are proudly committed to the future generations of individuals seeking careers with our dealers and the agriculture industry."

Since 2008, INEDA has awarded 598 scholarships totaling $820,000 to applicants who are enrolled as full-time students in a "dealer-approved" higher education curriculum.

The 2022-2023 Andrew Goodman Scholarship Program received a record number of applications. On April 27, 2022, the INEDA Education Committee, chaired by Todd Barker of AgriVision Equipment, awarded $80,000 in scholarships to 88 applicants from 30 dealerships for the 2022-2023 academic year.

"We had the largest number of applicants in the history of the program," said Will Rogers, INEDA director of government affairs. "In addition, nearly 90 scholarships were awarded to students with a grade point average of over 3.69. We are delighted to help so many students with their educational goals."

For more information, contact Will Rogers at 515/669-1648 or [email protected].

This story also appears on Agricultural Equipment Guide.