Applications are now being accepted for the UTRC 2013 Advanced Institute for Transportation Education (AITE) Program, a scholarship program with a competitive application process. The Program is intended to increase the knowledge and capabilities of transportation professionals through education in transportation and related fields. The major component of the AITE Program is the provision of scholarships to students who are just starting their careers and to those who are already working in the transportation field and want to increase their knowledge and skills. From 1991 through 2012, 282 students have participated in the Program. Applicants during this time frame totaled 664, ranging from 15 in 2005 to 81 in 1994. The average number of applicants during the past five years was 22. The number of awards granted each year vary based on funding availability and number of applicants.

The Program requires that students attend a participating school and either be employed in a participating agency or be a full time student. Agencies currently involved with the Program include the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), MTA New York City Transit (MTA NYCT), the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC), and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). Participating UTRC Consortium members include Maritime College/SUNY, New York University (NYU), Polytechnic Institute of NYU, Rowan University, Rensselaer Polytechnic University, Rutgers University-Engineering, Rutgers University-Planning, University at Albany-SUNY, University at Buffalo- SUNY, and the University of Puerto Rico. Agency employees may also attend the City College of New York. UTRC solicits for new participants at the start of each year’s application cycle. Agencies can benefit by gaining a more knowledgeable workforce, including new knowledge in state-of-the-art technology.

This Program also requires matching resources to be contributed by either the participating university for the full-time student participants or from the participating agency for the employee applicants. Full time students who receive the AITE Scholarship will receive a stipend equal to the value of the match provided by the university up to $25,000 total over three semesters. The school’s contribution is provided for tuition reimbursement. Students who are employed and sponsored by one of the participating agencies will receive free tuition up to a value of $25,000 total over a period up to four semesters. The agency will supply the match by providing work release time valued by the employee’s salary.

The 2013 application process will close on April 30, 2013. If interested in applying, please see your coordinator for application instructions who are identified at the following links:

Agency coordinators: http://www.utrc2.org/education/aite‐participating‐agencies

University coordinators: http://www.utrc2.org/education/aite‐participating‐masters‐programs.