ST. MARYS — Each spring, Midwest Electric grants $11,000 to West Central Ohio high school seniors through two scholarship programs: the general scholarship for high-performing students and the Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship.

Electric cooperatives know career preparation can be expensive. Midwest Electric is committed to empowering the communities it serves through one of its cooperative principles, “Education, Training, and Information,” which aims to uplift the next generation of leaders, provide local youth with resources to succeed, and give back to the members it exists on behalf of.

To apply, students must be a child or legal ward of a year-round residential Midwest Electric member and must be a graduating senior with all the basic credits for college, vocational, or technical school entrance. Winners at the local level will also be eligible for additional statewide scholarships totaling $38,200 from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives.

The general Children of Members Scholarship is $9,000 in total, and requires a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5, with no other special criteria.

A total of six winners will be selected. The program offers a boys and girls division, within which the first-place girl and boy win $2,000; the second-place girl and boy win $1,500; and the third-place girl and boy win $1,000. The top boy and girl go on to compete in Columbus for 24 additional statewide awards.

The Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship is a total of $2,000, and requires a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75, for students who have overcome adversity or personal challenges in pursuit of their goals. One overall winner will be chosen.

Other rules apply. For more information, contact Kecia Schmerge, at 1-800-962-3830, or email [email protected].

For applications, contact your local high school guidance counselor or visit www.midwestrec.com and click the My Community tab for the scholarship link.

Completed applications are due by Jan. 15, 2019.