ACI Foundation Fellowships and Scholarships 2027–2028: $5,000 to $10,000 Educational Stipends — Plus Convention Travel and Mentorship — for Students Pursuing Concrete-Related Degrees in North America

ACI Foundation Fellowships and Scholarships 2027–2028: $5,000 to $10,000 Educational Stipends — Plus Convention Travel and Mentorship — for Students Pursuing Concrete-Related Degrees in North America

Concrete is the most-used building material on the planet, and the people who design, mix, test, and build with it rarely get named scholarships aimed squarely at their work. The ACI Foundation — the philanthropic and research arm of the American Concrete Institute — is one of the few funders that does exactly that. For the 2027–2028 academic year, the Foundation is accepting applications through November 1, 2026 for a slate of roughly 50 named fellowships and scholarships that put real money, industry mentorship, and convention access behind students building careers in concrete materials, structural design, and construction.

This is a practical, career-focused award rather than a prestige prize. Fellowships carry a $10,000 educational stipend plus paid travel and registration to two ACI Concrete Conventions, a personal mentor, and (where required) an internship placement. Scholarships carry a $5,000 stipend. A single application places you into consideration for the awards you qualify for, so the effort of applying once opens the door to a wide catalog of named funds. If you are studying anything from structural engineering to cement chemistry to construction management, this is one of the highest-yield applications you can complete this fall.

Key Details at a Glance

Amounts and benefits reflect the Foundation’s published program structure; confirm the exact figures and eligibility for each named award on the official application platform before applying.

What the Awards Offer

The ACI Foundation splits its student support into two tiers, and understanding the difference helps you calibrate expectations.

Fellowships are the flagship. Each fellowship provides a $10,000 educational stipend that can be applied toward tuition, residence, books, and materials. Beyond the cash, fellows receive a package designed to plug them into the profession: airfare, hotel, a travel stipend, and registration to attend two ACI Concrete Conventions, a mentor drawn from the Institute’s membership, and — for awards that require it — an internship opportunity with an industry sponsor. Fellows are recognized at conventions, in ACI publications, and across the Foundation’s channels. In effect, a fellowship is a stipend wrapped in a professional-development program: you leave not just with money but with a network, a mentor, and convention experience that many early-career engineers take years to accumulate.

Scholarships provide a $5,000 educational stipend (some awards are paid in Canadian dollars, reflecting the Foundation’s cross-border reach). Scholarships are typically lighter on the wraparound benefits but still carry the recognition and the endorsement of an internationally respected professional body. For an undergraduate, $5,000 toward tuition and materials is meaningful, and the line on a résumé signals to future employers that you were vetted by the ACI Foundation’s Scholarship Council.

Across both tiers, the Foundation offers on the order of 50 awards each cycle. Many are named funds established by companies, ACI chapters, families, or memorial endowments, and each may carry its own focus — concrete materials science, structural design, construction management, sustainability, or a particular region or state. You do not apply to each one individually. Instead, you complete a single application, and the ACI Foundation Scholarship Council considers you for every award whose criteria you meet.

Who Should Apply

This program is built for students whose academic path runs through concrete, cement, and the built environment. You are a strong fit if you are:

• An undergraduate pursuing a degree in civil engineering, structural engineering, construction engineering, construction management, architectural engineering, materials science, or a closely related field with a concrete emphasis.
• A graduate student (master’s or doctoral) whose research or coursework centers on concrete materials, structural behavior, durability, sustainability of cementitious materials, or construction methods.
• A student who intends to build a career in the concrete or construction industry and wants early exposure to the profession’s leading technical body.

The awards span career stages, so both a sophomore just declaring a major and a PhD candidate deep into a dissertation can find a fund that fits. Some scholarships are region-specific (tied to particular states, provinces, or ACI chapters), some are open to international students, and some prioritize particular subfields. Because the catalog is broad, students who might assume they are too early, too specialized, or too geographically remote often qualify for something — which is exactly why a single, well-prepared application is worth the effort.

Eligibility Requirements

While each named award sets its own precise criteria, the core requirements that run across the ACI Foundation program are consistent:

• Enrollment in a concrete-related degree program at an accredited institution. The Foundation’s focus is on students whose studies connect to concrete materials, structural design, or construction.
• Geographic scope. Awards are primarily for students at accredited institutions in the United States and Canada, with some awards extending to Mexico or open to international students. Certain named scholarships are restricted to specific states, provinces, or regions.
• Two endorsements. You must submit two endorsements supporting your application, and at least one must come from an ACI member who is not a student. This requirement is deliberate: it ties applicants into the professional community and signals that a working member of the field vouches for your promise.
• English-language proficiency. All applicants must be proficient in English. If English is not your first language, you may be asked to upload a TOEFL score or equivalent evidence of proficiency.

If you are unsure whether your program counts as “concrete-related,” the practical test is whether concrete, cement, or reinforced/structural systems are central to your studies or research. When in doubt, review the individual award descriptions on the application platform, which spell out the fields and regions each fund targets.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted online through the ACI Foundation’s student application platform, linked from the official fellowships and scholarships page. The process is straightforward but rewards early preparation:

1. Create an account on the ACI Foundation application platform (studentapps.secure-platform.com), reachable from acifoundation.org/scholarships. A separate portal serves the Middle East and North Africa region.
2. Complete the common application. You provide your academic information, program of study, and personal details once. The Scholarship Council then matches you against every award you are eligible for.
3. Write your essay(s). Selection is based in significant part on your essays and the information you submit, so this is where you make your case.
4. Secure your two endorsements, ensuring at least one comes from a non-student ACI member. Endorsers typically submit their statements through the platform, so give them ample lead time.
5. Upload supporting documents, which may include transcripts and, where applicable, a TOEFL score.
6. Submit before the deadline — November 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Late applications are not considered.

Because the Foundation reuses a stable platform year to year, the interface and requirements are well documented within the portal itself. Read each named award’s description before you finalize, so you can tailor your essay to the themes the Council cares about.

Required Materials and How to Prepare Them

Plan your application around these building blocks:

• Academic record and transcripts. Keep an up-to-date transcript ready. Strong, consistent performance in core engineering and materials courses matters, but the Foundation explicitly says it does not select on grades alone.
• Essays. This is the heart of the application. Use it to explain why you are drawn to concrete and construction, what problem or subfield you want to work on, and how the award will accelerate a concrete (pun intended) career plan. Specificity wins: name the courses, projects, internships, or research that shaped your direction, and connect them to where you are heading.
• Two endorsements. Identify your endorsers early — a professor, research advisor, or industry supervisor works well, and remember that at least one must be a non-student ACI member. If you do not yet know an ACI member, your department’s faculty or a local ACI chapter is the fastest route to one. Give endorsers your résumé and a short summary of your goals so their statements are concrete and personal.
• English-proficiency evidence (if applicable). International applicants should have a valid TOEFL score or equivalent ready to upload.
• A clear career narrative. The Council is investing in future contributors to the concrete industry. Applicants who can articulate a credible path — a research question, a type of work, an eventual role — stand out from those who simply need funding.

Timeline and Deadline

The single date to protect is November 1, 2026 (11:59 p.m. EDT), when applications for the 2027–2028 cycle close. Work backward from there:

• Now through September 2026: Draft your essays, request transcripts, and — most importantly — line up your two endorsers, including your non-student ACI member.
• October 2026: Finalize essays, confirm endorsers have submitted, and complete every field in the portal.
• By November 1, 2026: Submit. Do not wait for the final hours; endorsement submissions and document uploads sometimes take longer than expected.
• Following the deadline: The ACI Foundation Scholarship Council reviews applications and selects fellowship and scholarship recipients for the 2027–2028 academic year. Recipients are recognized at ACI Concrete Conventions and across the Foundation’s channels.

Because these awards support the 2027–2028 academic year, applying in the fall of 2026 puts funding in place well ahead of that year — exactly the kind of forward planning that reduces financial stress during your studies.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Leaving endorsements to the last minute. The requirement that one endorser be a non-student ACI member trips up applicants who do not already know one. Start this outreach weeks in advance; scrambling in late October is the single most common way strong candidates fail to submit a complete application.
• Writing a generic essay. A recycled “I need funding to finish my degree” essay does not distinguish you. Tie your narrative specifically to concrete and construction and to the kind of work you want to do.
• Assuming you are ineligible. Students often skip the application because they think they are too early in their studies, too specialized, or in the wrong region. With roughly 50 named awards spanning subfields, regions, and career stages, many applicants qualify for something they did not expect.
• Overlooking the details of named awards. Some funds are region- or topic-specific. Reading those descriptions lets you frame your application to match, rather than submitting a one-size-fits-all narrative.
• Ignoring English-proficiency requirements. International applicants who forget to prepare a TOEFL score can stall an otherwise complete application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to apply separately for each fellowship and scholarship? No. You complete one application, and the ACI Foundation Scholarship Council considers you for the awards you are eligible for.

What is the difference between a fellowship and a scholarship here? Fellowships carry a $10,000 stipend plus a package of benefits — paid travel and registration to two ACI Concrete Conventions, a mentor, and a possible internship. Scholarships carry a $5,000 stipend (some paid in CAD) and are lighter on the wraparound benefits.

Can international students apply? Some awards are open to international students, though many are focused on students at accredited institutions in the United States and Canada. Review individual award descriptions on the platform, and be ready to provide a TOEFL score if English is not your first language.

What counts as a “concrete-related degree”? Programs in civil, structural, construction, architectural, or materials engineering with a focus on concrete, cement, or reinforced/structural systems generally qualify. If concrete is central to your studies or research, you are likely eligible.

Who can serve as my endorsers? You need two endorsements, and at least one must come from an ACI member who is not a student. Professors, research advisors, and industry supervisors are common endorsers; if you need to reach an ACI member, your department or a local ACI chapter can help.

When is the deadline? November 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EDT, for the 2027–2028 academic year.

Why This Opportunity Is Worth Your Time

Named professional-society scholarships are among the most underused funding sources available to engineering students, precisely because they are specialized. The ACI Foundation’s program pairs a genuinely useful stipend — $5,000 to $10,000 — with something money alone cannot buy for a student: a mentor, convention access, industry recognition, and, for fellows, an internship pathway into the field. For anyone serious about a career in concrete and construction, the award is as much a professional launchpad as a check.

The application asks for real effort — thoughtful essays and two endorsements, one from an ACI member — but that effort is leveraged across roughly 50 awards with a single submission. Start early, line up your endorsers now, and write an essay that makes your commitment to the field unmistakable.

Official Links and Next Steps

• Fellowships and scholarships overview and application: https://www.acifoundation.org/scholarships/fellowshipsscholarships.aspx
• ACI Foundation scholarships home: https://www.acifoundation.org/scholarships.aspx
• Questions: contact the ACI Foundation directly through the details listed on its website.

Confirm the exact stipend figures, benefits, and eligibility for each named award on the official application platform before you apply, and submit well ahead of the November 1, 2026 deadline. Always rely on the ACI Foundation’s official pages for the most current and authoritative details.