San Patricio Electric Cooperative will award 25 high school seniors with $5,000 scholarships to use toward educational expenses. The application period begins January 1 and ends April 1.
The scholarship program, made possible through the San Patricio Electric Education Trust, is open to high school seniors in the nine-county SPEC service area. These students must be currently enrolled at an area high school or completing a non-traditional education, such as homeschooling, to be eligible. In addition, the student’s parents or guardians must be members of the cooperative.
“One of our goals as a cooperative is to give back to the community. We could not think of a better way to do that than to invest in our future. These bright, young students deserve a chance to follow their dreams, and SPEC is incredibly happy to play a role in it,” said Ron Hughes, general manager at SPEC.
Of these scholarships, 20 will go to students pursuing a degree at a college or university. Five scholarships will be awarded to students planning to attend a vocational or technical institute.
An independent scholarship committee selects the recipients based on leadership abilities, community involvement, academic achievement and financial need.
To apply, students must complete an application and attach at least three letters of recommendation from faculty and staff at their school, or equivalent sources if homeschooled.
The $5,000 scholarship is awarded over four semesters and is contingent on the student meeting the cooperative’s requirements. To receive each $1,250 installment, the student must be enrolled full-time and maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher.
The San Patricio Electric Education Trust was established by SPEC in 1999 to provide area students with the funds necessary to continue their education goals. Since it was founded, the fund has awarded more than $460,000 in scholarships to area students.
The San Patricio Education Trust is supported by contributions from the cooperative’s customers, or members. As a non-profit, it’s SPEC’s responsibility to return money, or capital credits, to its members when possible. Many of these members choose to give these funds back to the scholarship program or decide to donate them upon the settlement of an estate.