mikeroweWORKS Foundation

No GPA. No Test Scores. Just Real Work Ethic.

Since 2008, Mike Rowe's foundation has awarded over $16 million to more than 2,600 people learning a skilled trade. In 2026 alone, they're giving away up to $10 million more.

*We haven't partnered with Mike Rowe and their trades program, but we love what he's doing

The Real Deal

What This Actually Is

Mike Rowe, the former host of Dirty Jobs, founded the mikeroweWORKS Foundation in 2008 specifically to fight the stigma around skilled trade work. The Work Ethic Scholarship doesn't care about your GPA or test scores, it evaluates references, a short video, and a signed "S.W.E.A.T. Pledge," a commitment to personal responsibility and hard work. Awards fund tuition, books, and tools for any accredited program two years or less, community college, trade school, or technical training, not four-year degrees.

How Selection Works

What It Covers

Eligible Programs

Applicants submit personal references, record a video response, and sign the official S.W.E.A.T. Pledge emphasizing personal accountability.

Funding directly assists with essential expenses including trade school tuition, required textbooks, and professional tool sets.

Grants apply specifically to technical training programs running two years or shorter for recognized hands-on skilled trade fields.

The Real Numbers

By The Numbers

322

2026 Round 1 scholarships awarded

$3M$

Allocated in 2026 Round 1 funding

9,100

Average award ($500 to $34,000 range)

16M+

Awarded to 2,600+ recipients since 2008

Round 1 of 2026 alone awarded 322 scholarships totaling $3 million, individual awards ranged from $500 to $34,000, averaging $9,100. The foundation's goal for the full 2026 year is up to $10 million awarded, on top of the $16 million-plus already given out since 2008.

Focus on skilled technician hands assembling precise mechanical hardware in a bright professional training workshop.

Your Move

Who Can Apply

You don't need to be a recent high school grad. Adults switching careers into a skilled trade are eligible too, as long as you're enrolling in an approved two-year-or-shorter program.

Applications are accepted across multiple rounds throughout the year, with a final 2026 deadline of October 31.

See Metallica Scholars

Trade Support Network

You're Not the Only Real Ally

Advancing the Trades highlights dedicated partners across the industry. Discover how programs like the Metallica Scholars Initiative provide specialized grants and trade advancement.