The purpose of this program is to increase underrepresented populations participation in the transportation profession by supporting increased diversity at the undergraduate level. Diversity in transportation is critical as practitioners seek to fully understand the transportation needs of communities in the development of equitable mobility improvements to many areas of our society.
Understanding that success at the university level, in particular for first generation college students, requires a multi-faceted approach, there are four cornerstones to this program:
This program is open to any U.S. high school student or community college student transferring to a 4 year university, of African-American; Native American, Alaskan, and Hawaiian; or Hispanic/Latino heritage with an interest in a career in transportation and seeking to study transportation engineering, planning, or in a related-field at a school with an established ITE Student Chapter. Preference will be given to first generation college students and low household income. An objective of the Diversity Scholars Program is to help those with the greatest need. Applicants eligible for Pell Grants (as determined through the FAFSA application process) will be given priority, but those not eligible for Pell Grants will still be considered.
One (1) scholarship will be awarded annually to an eligible graduating high school senior or community college student committed to pursuing a career in transportation engineering, planning or closely related field. The student must enroll in a University with an ITE Student Chapter.
Those who are accepted into the ITE Diversity Scholars Program are eligible to continue in the program, so long as they maintain acceptable progress toward graduation in the field of transportation engineering, planning, or a related field, and fulfill the minimum established standards for GPA (specific criteria listed under eligibility requirements).
The following criteria must be met by the high school or community college applicant and maintained by the undergraduate student:
You can access the 2025 application here: https://ite-scholarships.secure-platform.com/a
After initial selection, to continue in the ITE Diversity Scholars Program, the student must maintain:
You are required to provide information and upload documents as a part of this application. Here is a listing of the information that you will need:
Your application will be scored on 10 criteria. The full explanation of criteria and allocation of points can be accessed here: ITE Diversity Scholars Judging Criteria. The key criteria include:
ITE is an international membership association of transportation professionals who work to improve mobility and safety for all transportation system users and help build smart and livable communities. Through its products and services, ITE promotes professional development and career advancement for its members, supports and encourages education, identifies necessary research, develops technical resources including standards and recommended practices, develops public awareness programs, and serves as a conduit for the exchange of professional information. For more information, visit www.ite.org.
The ITE Legacy Fund works to fulfill ITE’s mission of shaping the future of the profession and transportation by supporting the growth of its future leaders. The goal of the ITE Legacy Fund program is to help develop the next generation of leaders in ITE and the transportation profession.