The ASSP Foundation Family Scholarship Fund was established in 2013 to support families affected by a workplace tragedy. This scholarship, available to spouses and children who have lost a loved one in a workplace incident, provides educational funding to minimize the financial impact of their loss and encourage continuing education. As safety professionals continue to make a greater impact, fewer people will experience such tragedies, but until then we need to step up. Please share this program with anyone you know who may benefit from it.
Every day, members of the American Society of Safety Professionals strive to protect their fellow workers. Our members embrace this profession so that millions of workers around the words can go home, safe and sound.
Nothing can replace the loss suffered by you and your family. Our hearts are with you. We want to support you and your family and encourage you to continue on your educational path in honor of your loved one.
The ASSP Foundation created the Family Scholarship to release some burden and minimize the financial impact of your family’s loss while encouraging continuing education.
The ASSP Foundation Family Scholarship Fund is available to children and spouses of individuals who lost their lives in a workplace incident. *
Applicants:
The ASSP Foundation will review each application on an individual basis and will contact applicants with additional details or questions.
Apply for a Family Scholarship
Questions? Contact us at asspfoundation@assp.org.
"As one can imagine my dad’s accident has been a very emotional matter for almost all family members and coworkers alike. There is no doubt that this is the hardest thing I have had to encounter in my life so far and maybe even as a whole. I already miss and will continue to miss doing all the things we did together over the years, and I will forever hold and cherish the memories and time that I got to spend with him. It has been weird trying to adjust to the new lifestyle without someone that I have known my entire life. It is something that I am still saddened by today and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him even more. While not a situation or circumstance that any of us want to find each other in; it is good to know that somewhere there are people that understand exactly as I do. "
"This scholarship encourages students like me to continue their education and do something with it when they finish their accomplishments. It gives us hope to change lives even when no one sees us."
"Losing my dad has turned my mom, my sisters, and myself into strong individuals and we have kept going for him. I am so thankful to be awarded this scholarship and I am even more thankful to the family of Samantha Wooten who have chosen to pursue her legacy. This award is going to help me jumpstart my life and begin leaving my own legacy."
"My dad was my hero and was the one who inspired me into going into the career I am currently pursuing. While working on projects together, he taught me everything that I know today. My life has forever changed, and a big hole was left in my heart. After his passing, I knew I had to continue school so that I could finish my degree in memory of him."
"Your generosity is not only helping me to achieve my academic and professional goals but also helping me to make a meaningful difference in this world. As someone who is deeply passionate about safety and its critical role in our communities, I am eager to contribute to a safer and better future."
"Your generous support through this scholarship helps ease the financial burden of graduate studies, as it will allow me to stay focused on my professional goals and educational journey. It also serves as a powerful reminder that the safety community is built on mutual support, shared experiences, and a collective dedication to preventing workplace tragedies."
"Since losing my father, I have been an advocate for grief support services, especially for low-income people and Spanish speakers such as myself. I also began advocating for worker safety, since protections for immigrant workers are less stringent than for U.S. citizens, and immigrant worker safety can go overlooked. This scholarship has allowed me to focus on activities that are meaningful to me and will help progress my career, including volunteering at a children's grief camp. I intend to honor his legacy and sacrifices through my pursuit of higher education."
"Thanks to your support, I can continue my educational journey and being a positive role model for my children. I look forward to passing this kindness on to the children I work with once I graduate."
"I wish to express my deepest gratitude for your generous support through the ASSP Foundation Family Scholarship. It is an incredible honor to have been selected, and I am truly thankful for your investment in my education and future. I am currently a junior at Penn State University, majoring in Law and Society.This scholarship is not only helping to fund my education, but it also serves as a source of motivation and encouragement as I work toward my academic and career goals. I hope to one day give back to my community and support others the way you have supported me. "
"This scholarship lifts a weight off my shoulders and reminds me that I’m not alone. Thank you for being part of my story. My goal is to merge my passion for technology with finance and applied mathematics to create meaningful solutions in the tech industry. The loss of my stepdad has been one of the hardest challenges I have faced, but it has also strengthened my resolve. I want to honor his memory by working hard, giving back, and ensuring that his sacrifices were not in vain. "
"Many days I only got out of bed because my girls needed me too and I often woke up wishing I hadn't because that meant the nightmare was real. I can not thank you enough for awarding my family the scholarship for such a generous amount. It will go a long way and be instrumental in ensuring the girls and I can stay constructively busy. I find myself avoiding talking about the subject of what we have been through because it usually weighs heavy in those who hear the story, however it is important and drives me to make safe decisions and cultivate a safe workplace culture."
"He showed me how to look at the world through the eyes of an artist. He made me a priority and set me up for success. So when he died, I made a conscious decision to continue to include him in my life. I’ve used the skills he taught me to express how I felt, and it made the hurt tangible and more approachable. Now I’m learning to help others unload the heavy weight of grief."
"I lost my dad in a workplace accident, and that tragedy has shaped my commitment to making sure every worker returns home safely. This scholarship will help me pursue an education in safety and health, where I can turn that loss into purpose. I’m dedicated to honoring my father’s memory by becoming a strong advocate for safer workplaces. Thank you for believing in my journey and helping me carry this mission forward. Through this opportunity, I hope to transform my pain and loss into a force for prevention and compassion, sparing others the anguish that my family continues to endure. "
"Thanks to your donations, the gap is not only bridged financially, but also lifts such a heavy burden from the lives of those affected by the loss of a loved one in workplace tragedies. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for bridging this gap for me. I hope to follow in your footsteps one day and stand in the gap for others."
"As a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines, I’ve grown up with much financial struggle in my life. Prior to receiving this scholarship, I was deeply worried about my educational future after earning my undergraduate degree. As a student who is living entirely on financial aid and other grants to fund my education, I have been considering abandoning my goal of remaining in academia after graduation. I am now able to pursue my goals of earning a mechanical engineering and applied mathematics degree."
"As the youngest of four children, college has always been a topic of burden and worry. I always feared how my parents would be able to afford sending us all to college. When my father was killed in the line of duty five years ago, those fears were even more pronounced. Thanks to you all and this organization, some of that burden has been lifted. Not only will I be able to attend college, but I will not have to work and can focus on my studies. This scholarship will help me feel a sense of security and relief. I am forever grateful and honored."
"With this scholarship, I will be able to focus on school and not have to worry about the stress of student loans or working to pay for college expenses; most importantly, I won’t have to rely on my mom to help pay for things. I want my mom to focus on herself and use her money to take of herself and her future. My dad would be working extra, extra jobs to help pay for my college, as well as college for my three sisters, and I don’t want my mom to have to worry about any of that. My dad was an amazing dad, person, and police officer and strived to help others. I am grateful to him for instilling those traits in me as well and for people like you who do the same."
"I am deeply honored to write to you as a recipient of the ASSP Family Scholarship. This support has been a cornerstone in my journey to advance occupational safety and health, a mission rooted in the memory of my late father. His preventable loss ignited my commitment to safety, ensuring no family endures such grief due to workplace hazards. Looking ahead, I’m committed to furthering this mission, completing my degree, pursuing additional certifications, and advocating for safety in every workplace I touch. Your belief in me has turned a painful loss into a force for good, and for that, I am profoundly grateful. Thank you for empowering me to make a difference, one safe workday at a time. "
"Thank you for your support and generosity for the scholarship that you have provided to me to help further my education in nursing. After losing my father to a work-related injury, our lives were turned upside down not only emotionally, but our financial income was quickly reduced for our family of five. I hope that my career in nursing can help better the lives of others, and I can make an impact on those around me. My father would want me to continue my education, and you are helping me do that by giving me the scholarship from your foundation. Thank you again for all your support."
"My father was only 45 years old when he passed away unexpectedly from an injury coaching his high school softball team. I already knew before he passed that I wanted to do something with sports, but after he passed I decided that I wanted to recruit and help them follow their dreams. My goal is not only mine, but to carry on my father's that he could not finish in his short life that ended a little over two years ago. My sports marketing and management degree from will help connect others to their dreams. "
"This scholarship will help me relieve financial stress to build a better future for my daughter and me. I aspire to be a leader in Business Analytics and, eventually earn my PhD and become a professor. This scholarship isn’t just financial assistance; it’s an investment in a future my father would have wanted but never got a chance to express. Losing my father at 16 was more than just losing a parent; it was losing my grounded guiding figure, my safety net when things went awry, and the person who prepared me for life’s defining moments."
"Pursuing a law degree is a dream come true for me. I count myself fortunate to have such an opportunity. I believe it will make a difference for my family and the wider community I will serve. "
"I received a phone call that would forever change my life, my mother’s life, my brother’s life, my daughter’s life, and the lives of everyone who loved my dad. I try day-in and day-out to give my father a voice and help ensure this type of incident doesn’t happen to another person. I also want to build the best life possible for me and my 6-year-old daughter. Putting an emphasis on education is a great way to do that."