La Plata Electric Association Scholarships
Scholarship Sponsored by La Plata Electric Association, Inc.
Introduction
LPEA is offering two renewable scholarships to support students pursuing careers with rural electric cooperatives. Each award provides $7,000 per year for up to four years to cover tuition, fees, and books. These scholarships are intended for graduating high school students who plan to enroll full-time at a U.S. accredited college or university. Recipients must remain enrolled full-time and meet the academic requirements listed below to keep the funding.
Who is eligible
- Must be a member of LPEA.
- Must have graduated from a high school (including homeschool programs) or earned a GED within LPEA’s service area (including Durango, Bayfield, Pagosa Springs, and Ignacio).
- Must be entering college as a first-year student at an accredited U.S. college or university for the upcoming academic year.
Academic continuation requirements
- Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale or equivalent) during the first year.
- Beginning in the second year and for all subsequent years, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- Successfully complete at least 15 academic credits each term while receiving the scholarship.
- Scholarship support ends once a student has completed 150 credit hours.
Application materials
Applicants must submit the following:
1. A 500-word essay describing your college plans and explaining how your educational and career goals could connect to work at a rural electric cooperative. Make sure the essay clearly ties your aspirations to the cooperative mission or activities.
2. Your high school transcript or an equivalent academic record (official transcript or documentation provided by your school counselor, or equivalent for nontraditional students).
3. A list of honors and extracurricular activities, including awards, jobs, clubs, athletics, and community involvement.
4. Two letters of recommendation from people who can speak to your character, work ethic, and dedication (teachers, mentors, community leaders, employers, etc.).
5. An optional statement describing any significant personal challenges that have affected your academic record or activities; this helps the committee contextualize gaps or changes and understand your resilience.
Timeline and next steps
- The application period opens December 1 and closes March 1.
- A Scholarship Information Webinar with guidance for preparing a competitive application will be held in February.
- The selection committee will review submissions in March, and recipients will be notified in April.
If you have questions about eligibility or the required documents, contact LPEA for clarification before you apply.