Coastal Electric Cooperative members fund almost $50,000 in scholarships to local students

In May, Coastal Elec­tric Coop­er­a­tive staff attend­ed awards cer­e­monies at five local schools to award 18 schol­ar­ships val­ued at almost $50,000 to deserv­ing stu­dents.

These schol­ar­ships ranged from $500 for com­plet­ing Coastal Elec­tric Cooperative’s Learn­ers Today, Lead­ers Tomor­row sum­mer work study pro­gram and $2,500 Wash­ing­ton Youth Tour schol­ar­ships for those who served as del­e­gates in Wash­ing­ton, D.C., to foun­da­tion schol­ar­ships to help stu­dents attend tech­ni­cal col­leges and uni­ver­si­ties.

The high­est amounts award­ed went to six stu­dents, who earned $5,000 each for their first year of col­lege, and could earn up to $20,000 by the time they grad­u­ate.

Pri­ma­ry fund­ing for these schol­ar­ships comes from Oper­a­tion Round Up, a vol­un­tary pro­gram in which Coastal Elec­tric Coop­er­a­tive mem­bers allow their elec­tric bills to be round­ed up to the next whole dol­lar each month. The spare change is invest­ed back into the com­mu­ni­ty through the Coastal Elec­tric Coop­er­a­tive Foun­da­tion to meet the food, health, safe­ty, edu­ca­tion and shel­ter needs of cit­i­zens in Bryan, Lib­er­ty, Long and McIn­tosh coun­ties.