The industry is cheering the defeat of a proposed 10% luxury tax on boats in Washington state, thanks to the leadership of the Northwest Marine Trade Association and participation in the battle by others in the industry. Meanwhile, MTAs across the country are offering great scholarship programs that also are deserving of recognition.

Such successes provide more reason than ever for dealers to join their state MTAs. No dealer alone can do what an MTA can. Joining is an investment in your dealership’s future.

They may vary in amounts and qualifications, but many of our state MTAs, from the Pacific Northwest to New England, fund major scholarship programs annually that provide support to members’ employees, families and others.

The Michigan Boating Industries Association’s Recreational Boating Industries Educational Foundation is an industry leader established in 1986 with a clear mission of advancing scholarships and training that directly benefit the state’s marine industry. Scholarships are awarded to college students interested in marine industry careers, as well as MBIA members and employees for attending industry conferences, obtaining certifications and other training.

The MBIA program is funded through donations from benefactors and revenue from its boat shows. The association has awarded more than $460,600 in scholarships and grants.

Across Lake Erie in the Buckeye State, the Ohio Marine Trades Association’s Educational Foundation also awards scholarships to students, with preference given to member families and employees. The 2025 OMTA scholarship application period is open now, and grants will be awarded early this summer. All members are urged to make known the scholarship opportunities. The foundation’s funding comes primarily from the association’s shows.

The Marine Industry Association of Southwest Florida awards scholarships to the immediate families of association members and their employees. Scholarships are open to graduating high school seniors and students enrolled in a college or post-secondary trade or vocational school. Applications and supporting documents for these scholarships must be submitted by June 1. Like other MTAs, funding for the scholarships comes from the production of MIASWF boat shows.

The Massachusetts Marine Trade Association has long offered scholarships from $500 to $1,500 through its educational trust, which is the caretaker of the William Armstrong Scholarship Awards. Armstrong was a boat dealer on the south shore of Massachusetts and an original member of the MMTA, as well as serving on its board of directors. He believed education and training are key instruments in advancing careers and the future of the industry.

The Armstrong scholarships are given to high school seniors or graduates pursuing education or training at a qualified institute of higher learning, with the intent of entering or continuing to work in the Massachusetts boating industry. Awards range up to $1,500.

“We are fortunate to have a strong trust,” says Randall Lyons, MMTA executive director. “It provides funding for students looking to expand their training within the marine industry. The support we provide helps them get one step closer to their goals in our industry.”

The Northwest Marine Trade Association does not specifically provide academic scholarships, though it awards critical grants to a variety of organizations. Its Grow Boating program has provided more than $2 million in grants and promotional support since 2003 in support of initiatives that promote boating throughout the region.  In the past nine years, 70 organizations have benefited from this NMTA funding.

The organizations often use the grants for scholarship programs. For example, at least two of this year’s grantees will be using their funds for academic scholarships, while others will use the funds to facilitate events for at-risk and underserved youth, to sponsor youth from low-income families into good programs, or for other deserving efforts.  And like the other MTA’s, the funds come primarily from NMTA boat shows.  

If you’re not a member of your marine trade association, why not?