The National Kitchen and Bath Association, NKBA, will now offer a student membership at no cost to all those studying in the design and building fields thanks to a new, Platinum Sponsorship provided by Ferguson Enterprises.

An NKBA student membership allows students to network with both industry professionals and other students. Student members also receive free registration for the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, where they can see the latest trends and technology in action and network with other students in the new KBIS Student Lounge.

“We are pleased to partner with Ferguson to provide our student memberships at no cost to qualified students,” said NKBA CEO Bill Darcy. “We recognize that students are the future of the industry and want to do all we can to ensure success in their chosen career.”

“While Ferguson’s partnership with the NKBA spans more than 20 years, we are very excited to focus our efforts on students of the industry,” said Kate Bailey, director of showrooms for Ferguson. “We look forward to seeing how this year’s sponsorship will expand the students’ access to valuable industry resources and opportunities.”

Other student member benefits include free or discounted kitchen and bath design software, discounts on the NKBA Professional Resource Library books, access to internship opportunities posted on NKBA.org, as well as exclusive opportunities and design competitions that offer thousands of dollars in scholarships annually, plus national exposure and recognition.

And now, not only can students at NKBA-accredited college programs take the Associate Kitchen & Bath Designer (AKBD) exam prior to graduation once they have completed a minimum of 85 percent of their kitchen and bath coursework, but the $159 exam application fee is waived as well.