Gesa Credit Union in Richland, Washington recently announced it will offer ten college scholarships valued at $2,000 each to freshmen entering college in the fall.  In addition to the ten $2,000 scholarships, Gesa Credit Union will offer one $5,000 scholarship to an incoming freshman at Washing State University Tri-Cities.  Gesa Credit Union has prided itself on its commitment to give back to the community, and this newly created $5,000 scholarship to a student attending Washington State University Tri-Cities emphasizes this commitment.

In order to qualify for one of these college scholarships, students must be Gesa Credit Union members, graduating high school with a 3.0 GPA or higher, and entering college as a full-time student in the fall.  Scholarship recipients will be selected based on academic merit, extracurricular activities, community involvement and financial need.

This recent round of scholarships will be the twenty fifth consecutive year that Gesa Credit Union has rewarded local students with financial aid for their college education.  Over the years, Gesa has awarded more than $160,000 to local, deserving students attending colleges and universities in the state of Washington.  In addition to college scholarships, Gesa Credit Union also offers low-interest private student loans to those looking to finance their college education.

Students interested in learning more about the scholarship opportunities presented by Gesa Credit Union can learn more at youthconnection.gesa.com.  Applications can also be found on the same website.  Students have until February, 28^th to submit their application.  Scholarship winners will be announced later in the year with the funds being available during the upcoming fall semester.

Kohl’s Department Stores recently announced it will continue its Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program with more than $420,000 in scholarships and prizes up for grabs.  Awards will range from $50 Kohl’s gift cards to $10,000 college scholarships.  The Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program is expected to hand out awards to more than 2,200 students who have made positive impacts in their communities through volunteer work.  Nominations are being accepted for students aged six to eighteen from February 1^st, 2012 to March 15^th, 2012.

The Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program was established to recognize young volunteers who devote their time, energy and passion to helping others and bettering their communities.  As a way to invest in the future of these extraordinary students, Kohl’s felt it was necessary to create a scholarship program that will allow these young volunteers to attend college and further their education during these tough economic times.

As a part of the scholarship program, two nominees from each of the 1,100 Kohl’s stores nationwide will receive a $50 Kohl’s gift card, and more than 200 students will receive a regional scholarship valued at $1,000.  In addition to these awards, ten national winners will be awarded a total of $10,000 in college scholarships.  Kohl’s will also donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on behalf of each national scholarship recipient.

Since the program’s inception in 2001, Kohl’s has provided more than 15,000 students with over $3 million in scholarships and prizes.  This year marks the 12^th year of the Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program and the program does not appear to be slowing down.  To learn more about the Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program and nominate a student volunteer in your area, visit www.kohlskids.com.

The University of Central Florida’s College of Nursing recently received a $40,000 grant from the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation that will be used for college scholarships.  About twenty scholarships will be handed out thanks to this recent grant from the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation.  The scholarships will be awarded based on academic achievement and financial need.

Jean Leuner, Dean of the College of Nursing, is thankful for the recent grant as it will help prepare the college prepare the next generation of nurse leaders.  The scholarships will help support students financially, allowing them to focus on their studies and clinical work and not worry about how they will continue to fund their college education.

The Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation supports female students in nine southeastern states.  The Foundation devotes most of its efforts to its scholarship program, which provides financial aid to deserving female students.  The majority of the Foundation’s scholarships are awarded to students seeking a higher education in nursing, medical, and allied health fields.  More than two hundred institutions participate in the Lettie Pate Whitehead scholarship program on a yearly basis.

Interested students can fill out an application for the scholarship program via The University of Central Florida’s website this coming September.  Scholarship recipients will be able to use their award the following spring semester.  To learn more about the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation and all of the various scholarship opportunities presented by this foundation, students may visit the Foundation’s website at www.lpwhitehead.org.

Maryland State Senator Kathy Klausmeier of Perry Hall recently announced information regarding her annual senatorial college scholarships.  In years past, the scholarship program has awarded anywhere from $40,000 to $60,000 in college scholarships.  Roughly 100 students can expect to receive a scholarship in the amount of $400 to $600 if they are selected to receive a scholarship this year.

In order to qualify for a scholarship, a student’s full-time residence must be within Legislative District 8, which includes most of Perry Hall and parts of Parkville and Carney.  If a student is still dependent on their parents, the parents must also be Maryland residents in order to qualify for a scholarship.  In addition to the permanent residence requirements, students must also be currently enrolled or plan to enroll in a college or qualified private career school during the 2012-13 academic school year.  Applicants are also required to file a Federal Student Aid Application and submit the form with their application before the April 1, 2012 deadline.

Scholarships will be rewarded based on academic achievement, extracurricular activity, financial need, quality of their essay, and other miscellaneous circumstances and information.  While the minimum GPA requirement for students is a 2.5, students with a 3.0 GPA or higher will be given first consideration when it comes to handing out the scholarships.  Being involved in a variety of community, athletic, and other extracurricular activities will increase a student’s chances of receiving one of these awards.

Interested students are encouraged to visit the senator’s website at www.kathyforsenate.com to learn more about the scholarship opportunities being presented.  Also, students can call her office at 410-841-3620 to request more information about the college scholarships.

The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust recently donated $289,000 in college grant money to Eastern Iowa Community College (EICC).  The grant money will be used to supplement the new Interactive Learning Lab within EICC’s Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC).  The ATEEC opened its new offices and the learning lab this past August.  The learning lab was created to help educate students about energy and its various forms through interactive displays.  These displays are geared primarily towards grade school through high school students.

The grant from the Carver Trust will be used to create a project known as Energize Students and will be spread over three years.  The main focus of the project will be to improve the education of middle school students through teacher professional development and student educational trips.  Energize Students will feature education regarding renewable and sustainable energy.  Specifically, the project will include summer development institutes for science teachers, instructional materials that can be used in middle school classrooms and hands-on trips for students.  A website is also in the works that will allow teachers to find additional educational materials and to share their own experiences and successes with other educators.  The project plans to work with students in Scott, Muscatine, Louisa, and Clinton counties in Iowa as well as Rock Island and Mercer counties in Illinois.

The ATEEC and learning lab were made possible through a variety of funding sources including grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the Iowa Office of Energy Independence.  Thanks to the recent grant from the Carver Trust the ATEEC will not be underutilized as the center will be able to provide a unique education experience to middle school students in Iowa regarding the important issue of renewable energy.

The Bright Prospect, a Pomona nonprofit group, recently awarded $206,000 in college scholarships to 106 college students.  The scholarships range from $500 to $5,000, and can be used by students to pay for books, health insurance and winter clothing.  About half of the students are expected to use the scholarship money to help pay off some of their college loans.

Founded in 2002, Bright Prospect works with students starting in high school with the goal of increasing the number of low-income, first generation students from the Inland Empire who graduate from college.  Pomona Unified students that received a Bright Prospect scholarship currently attend thirty one different universities, showcasing the diverse reach a program such as Bright Prospect can have on local students.

For some students such as Jesus Navarro, a Cal Poly Pomona sophomore, a Bright Prospect scholarship is the difference between attending a two-year or four-year college.  Currently, Jesus receives $5,000 per year as a part of his Bright Prospect scholarship which he uses to pay for his tuition and books at Cal Poly Pomona.  Without this scholarship money, Jesus would have had to attend Mt. SAC because his family could not afford his education at Cal Poly Pomona.

In addition to college scholarships, Bright Prospect also acts as a support group by offering guidance and advice to students.  Students who are having a difficult time adjusting to the college life can seek help from advisors at Bright Prospect to help them through their troubled times.  By providing this additional support, Bright Prospect is increasing the likelihood that these first generation students will succeed in earning their college education.

Students interested in learning more about the scholarship opportunities provided by Bright Prospect are encouraged to visit the nonprofit group’s website at http://www.brightprospect.org/

The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association recently announced it will be awarding over $53,000 in college scholarships throughout the state of Illinois to students pursuing a higher education in the upcoming 2012-13 academic school year.  Students will be able to use this scholarship money towards tuition, books, and fees only.  Also, in order to claim one of these scholarships, students must be enrolled full-time at an accredited institution of higher learning within the state of Illinois.

While there will be no restriction of eligibility based on a student’s race, age, creed, color, sex, or national origin, there are a few requirements that must be met in order for a  student to be able to apply for a scholarship.  Among these eligibility requirements are each student must be a permanent resident of Illinois, scholarships must be used at institutions of higher learning within the state of Illinois, and students must be enrolled as a full-time student during the 2012-13 academic school year, which does not include the summer session.

Each county within the state of Illinois will be handing out a different number of scholarships, so some counties will have more recipients than others. For example, Sheriff Thomas L. Thompson of Mercer County will award only one scholarship valued at $500.  Applications are now available online at www.ilsheriff.org or at your local sheriff’s office.  Students must complete the application form, answer the essay questions, and return all required documents to the sheriff’s office in their permanent county of residence by March 12, 2012.  Interested students can visit their local sheriff’s office, high school counselor’s office, or college financial aid office to learn more about this exciting scholarship opportunity.

Texas Mutual Insurance Company recently awarded $300,000 in grants to Kilgore College, Midland College, and College of the Mainland in Texas City.  The grants will be used to support free workplace safety courses for employers, employees and the general public through the colleges’ risk management institutes.

Texas Mutual, the state’s leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance, has awarded a combined $2.8 million in safety education grants since 1999.  During this time, 20,000 students have attended free safety courses at the three colleges.  Courses at the safety institutes general focus on generic topics such as ergonomic safety and OHSA standards, but students may also choose to attend courses tailored for popular industries in the Houston, Midland and Kilgore areas.

In addition to these safety grants, Texas Mutual hosts free workers’ compensation workshops across the state for local employers.  The workshops include a presentation by Texas Mutual professionals and an opportunity for continuing education on workplace safety, workers’ compensation and fraud prevention.  These workshops and safety grants showcase Texas Mutual’s ongoing commitment to workplace safety and prevention of workplace accidents through education.  Safety education provides employers the tools to keep their business and employees safe, making it one of the better investments a company can make.
Interested companies or individuals looking to learn more about workplace safety and attending one of the courses or workshops are encouraged to visit www.texasmutual.com to learn more.

The Hispanic Business Council Scholarship Foundation of New Jersey (HBCSF) is encouraging Hispanic students to apply for college scholarships and book stipends for the upcoming school year.  The scholarships and stipends are available to all New Jersey state residents of Hispanic heritage that are currently attending college or will enroll in an accredited college or university during the 2012-13 academic school year.  Students can apply for the scholarships through the nonprofit group’s website at www.HBCSF.org.

HBCSF plans to award a total of $40,000 in college scholarships and book stipends.  The scholarships may be worth up to $4,000 each and will be disbursed directly to the college or university of the student’s choice.  In order to be eligible to claim one of these scholarships, students must remain enrolled full-time at an accredited college, university, community college, or trade school in the United States.  Students must also maintain a 3.0 GPA as well as complete 80 hours of community service between June 2012 and June 2013.  The stipends will be worth $1,000 each and can be used to cover the costs of books and other course-required materials.

Interested students have until February 29^th to submit their applications via the nonprofit group’s website.  Interviews will be conducted and the final award recipients will be selected by the end of March, 2012.  HBCSF plans to honor the scholarship winners at the Foundation’s 21^st annual Scholarship Gala and fundraiser in River Vale on May 3, 2012.  All Hispanic students looking for additional funding to help support their college education are encouraged to apply for this scholarship and book stipend program.

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey recently announced it is accepting applications for their 2012 scholarship program.  The scholarship program consists of two major scholarships, the Russell W. Myers Scholarship and the Rogers Family Scholarship.  This year, the Conservancy Scholarship Program will award a total of $14,000 with each scholarship providing $7,000 to a New Jersey resident pursuing a degree in environmental science, natural resource management, conservation, horticulture, park administration, or a related field.

In order to qualify for these scholarships, students must currently be in good standing at their college or university and have completed 15 credits with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.  Since its inception, the Land Conservancy of New Jersey Scholarship Program has awarded $163,500 to forty two outstanding New Jersey college students.

The Russell W. Myers Scholarship Fund was created in 1983 in honor of Russell Myers, founder of Morris Land Conservancy, and a leader in the field of conservation.  For more than twenty five years, Mr. Myers served as the Director of the Morris County Park Commission.  This commission helped create the Morris County Park System as the largest county park system in New Jersey.

The Rogers Family Scholarship Fund was created in 2005 by Gray and Mollie Rogers.  The Rogers family wanted a way to expand The Land Conservancy of New Jersey’s educational support, so they created this scholarship fund to help further the education of students interested in the field of conservation.

Students interested in applying for one of these scholarships have until April 2, 2012 to submit their application.  Only one application needs to be submitted as it will cover both scholarships.  Students can obtain an application by visiting the Land Conservancy’s website at: www.tlc-nj.org or calling the conservancy group at (973) 541-1010.