OTA Professional Driver Memorial Scholarship
The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) is pleased to sponsor an annual scholarship to aid a university student who is the son or daughter of a professional commercial truck driver. The scholarship honours the memory of David Virgoe, a truck driver and truck hero who died in June, 2007 in a crash caused by street racers on Highway 400. It also recognizes the hard work, dedication, and professionalism of all Ontario truck drivers who safely share the road with the general motoring public every day.
The scholarship recipient will be selected by the OTA Education Foundation Selection Committee. The maximum scholarship amount is $1,000.
Note: Only scholarship winners will be notified. Scholarship funds will be advanced to the recipient’s post-secondary institution and will be credited to the account identified by the student number provided in the online application.
- A resident of Ontario
- 25 years of age or younger as of January 1 of the academic year for which the scholarship applies.
- Enrolled at a public Ontario university on a full-time basis.
- The child of a commercial driver (employee or owner-operator) who has been driving professionally for a minimum of 5 years.
- Submit your online application by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page. Make sure that you review and understand all of the application requirements that are specified below and in the Overview page of the application before starting.
- You will have to upload an essay of 500 words or less (in .pdf format) that describes why you think your parent is an outstanding professional driver (e.g., accident free, driving awards, acts of bravery, etc.).
- You will have to upload a letter of 500 words or less addressed to the Education Foundation Selection Committee that describes your personal and academic accomplishments, as well as your personal, academic and career goals along with what motivated you to pursue those goals.
- You will have to download an Applicant Affiliation with Trucking Industry form, complete it (fillable .pdf), and send it to the company for which one of your parents works for verification and signature.
- Arrange to have an official transcript for your most recent academic year with final (not mid-term) marks, sent (either by mail or email) directly from the issuing institution to the OTA Education Foundation.
By Mail:
OTA Education Foundation
555 Dixon Road
Toronto, ON
M9W 1H8By Email: Email address must contain the URL of the issuing school or school board. Transcripts can be sent to info@otaef.com.
- Students who are applying for multiple OTA Education Foundation scholarships are permitted to arrange for only one official transcript to be sent to the Foundation. Applicants are asked to indicate that they are applying for other Foundation scholarships in the “Transcript” section of the online application form.
- Save your essay (see above for description) in .pdf format using the following naming protocol: <<LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_DriverESSAY>>. You will have to upload your essay part of your online application process.
- Save your letter (see above for description) in .pdf format using the following naming protocol: <<LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_DriverLETTER>>. You will have to upload your letter as part of your online application process.
- Download an Applicant Affiliation with Trucking Industry form, complete it (fillable .pdf), and send it to the trucking-related company where one of your parents works. Save the form in .pdf format using the following naming protocol: <<LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_EndowedSponsorForm>>. The form must be signed by an authorized representative of the company for which a parent of the applicant works, after which it must be sent by email to the OTA Education Foundation. Complete instructions are included in the form.