The deadline is quickly approaching to apply for statewide academic scholarships through the Thomas H. Moore Illinois Electric Cooperatives Memorial Scholarship program. The 17 $2,000 scholarships will be awarded in 2024 to financially assist deserving students in the electric co-op family.
“Once we ring in the New Year, that also means we will no longer accept applications for 16 of the 17 scholarships,” said Brooke Gross, member services manager and youth programs coordinator for the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives. “College is expensive, and I don’t want any student to miss out on this great opportunity.”
Ten scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors whose parents are Illinois electric co-op members. Five scholarships are reserved for high school seniors enrolling full-time at a two-year Illinois community college whose parents are Illinois electric cooperative members or co-op employees.
Additionally, the Earl W. Struck Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a student who is the child of an Illinois electric cooperative employee or director. The deadline to apply for these 16 scholarships is Dec. 31, 2023. Go to aiec.coop/iec-scholarship to apply.
The final scholarship, the LaVern and Nola McEntire Memorial Lineworker’s Scholarship, helps pay for costs to attend lineworker school conducted by the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives in conjunction with Lincoln Land Community College, Springfield. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is April 30, 2024. To apply, go to aiec.coop/lavern-and-nola-lineworkers-scholarship.
The fund has grown from initially awarding two $1,000 scholarships in 1996 to now offering 17 $2,000 scholarships. The Illinois Community College System Foundation administers the IEC Memorial Scholarship Fund. For more information regarding the scholarships, contact your local electric cooperative or go to aiec.coop/iec-scholarship.
Pictured above: This fall, 15 students across Illinois began their college careers with a little help from Illinois’ electric cooperatives. Morgan Klaas of Illinois Electric Cooperative, Erik Keeton of Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative, Hayden Habermehl of Monroe County Electric Cooperative, Sophie Trainor of Shelby Electric Cooperative, Lucas Dotson of Adams Electric Cooperative, Isaac Vahling of Norris Electric Cooperative and Abigail Meyer of Tri-County Electric Cooperative were able to attend the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperative’s annual meeting this past summer to accept their $2,000 scholarships.
