Empire Electric is offering 12 additional scholarships to encourage the educational advancement of its members. This is great news for past Empire scholarship recipients and new graduating high school seniors as six (6) new $1,000 scholarships are available in 2010 to continue your education after receiving your initial Empire scholarship. Plus, six (6) additional $1,000 scholarships are available for seniors graduating from area high schools.

Empire Electric is offering scholarships for high school seniors who are dependents of a member of Empire Electric. Twenty-four $1,000 scholarships are available for students who plan on attending a two-year community college or a four-year college/university program. Ten $500 scholarships are available for any student that will be attending a vocational or technical school that requires less than two years to complete. Home schooled seniors and Southwest Open High School seniors are encouraged to apply and will be considered with other applicants from the local high school they would be affiliated with.

Empire is also offering six adult scholarships for anyone over the age of 18 and a member or a dependent of a member of Empire Electric. These six adult scholarships are intended for adults continuing their education where a lapse in their normal education program has occurred.

And, Empire Electric will begin a new program by offering six continuing education scholarships where any recipient that has been awarded a scholarship previously can apply for a scholarship one time per year for three additional years, as long as a lapse in education has NOT occurred.

There are forty-six Empire Electric scholarships available in 2010 and several ways to apply. Seniors can pick up a scholarship application from their high school guidance counselor's office, at Empire's headquarters or they may download the form on www.eea.coop. Adult applications as well as the continuing education scholarships are available at Empire's headquarters (801 N. Broadway, Cortez) or can also be downloaded at www.eea.coop. Deadline for applications for high school first time scholarships or adult scholarships is February 15, 2010. Successful recipients will be notified the last week of March, 2009. Contact Denise Rosenbaugh for the continuing education scholarship deadlines and information.