HUGHESVILLE, Md. (November 10, 2010)—High school seniors in the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) service area may be eligible to apply for scholarships available from SMECO and the Virginia Maryland Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives (VMDAEC) Educational Scholarship Foundation.
SMECO offers $1,500 scholarships to four high school seniors who live with parents or guardians who are SMECO customers. To be eligible for SMECO scholarships, students must have maintained a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Seniors must be enrolled or plan to enroll full-time in an accredited college or university. Scholarships will be awarded based on scholastic achievement, financial need, and community and school involvement. As part of the application process, students must submit an essay on "Why is a College Education Important to Completing my Lifetime Goals?"
Students may obtain an application from their school career counselor, by calling SMECO at 1-888-440-3311, extension 4340, by visiting any SMECO office, or by going online. Completed application packages (all items must be submitted as one package) may be taken to any local SMECO office or mailed to SMECO Headquarters, P.O. Box 1937, Hughesville, MD, 20637, Attention: Bernadette Lewis. The deadline for students to apply for SMECO college scholarships is March 4, 2011. For more information, or to obtain an application, visit www.smeco.coop.
The VMDAEC Educational Scholarship Foundation will also award college or technical school scholarships of $1,000 each in 2011. High school seniors whose parents or guardians are customer-members of SMECO are eligible to apply. Recipients are chosen based on a competitive screening process. Applicants must provide evidence of acceptance in a post-high school educational institution or program. The scholarship funds are sent directly to the educational institution and placed in the student's account. These funds can be used to pay for tuition, fees, and books.
The deadline to apply for a 2011 VMDAEC Educational Foundation Scholarship is April 15, 2011. Completed applications, including all required parts and attachments, must be received by that date.
Applications are available online at www.vmdaec.com and at www.co-opliving.com/community/scholarship/. Applications are also available by mail by writing to VMDAEC Scholarships, P.O. Box 2340, Glen Allen, VA 23059.
In 2010, the VMDAEC Educational Foundation awarded 27 scholarships totaling $27,000 to deserving students. Since its inception in 2000, 289 students from throughout Virginia, Maryland and Delaware have received VMDAEC scholarships. The number of scholarships awarded each year is based on the funds available.
Founded in 1944, the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives is the trade association that provides training, communications, and other services to SMECO and the 15 other electric cooperatives that serve the three-state Mid-Atlantic region.
Source: SMECO