Flathead Electric awards scholarships

Flathead Electric Cooperative has announced its 2023 Scholarship Program recipients.

A total of $118,000, funded by the co-op's unclaimed capital credits, was awarded to local students this year.

Despite the co-op’s best efforts to return capital credits to members, many go unclaimed. Most commonly, members move and do not provide the co-op with their new mailing address. The state of Montana allows not-for-profit electric cooperatives to use capital credits that go unclaimed for five or more years for educational purposes in their service area, rather than the money rolling into Montana’s General Fund.

Scholarship awards funded by these unclaimed capital credits range in value from $1,500 to $6,000. Recipients must attend an accredited college in Montana, and they or their parent or guardian must be a member of Flathead Electric Cooperative. A committee comprised of the co-op’s Board of Trustees, co-op staff, and dedicated community members reviews scholarship applications and determines recipients each year. There were 26 winners including two from Whitefish High School.

In addition to the co-op's unclaimed capital credits funded scholarships, Basin Electric Power Cooperative and the Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association award scholarships. The BEPC Scholarship Program awards one $1,000 scholarship each year to a Flathead Electric Cooperative member’s child graduating from high school or currently attending an undergraduate college. Kenna Anderson, Flathead High School, won the 2023 $1,000 Basin Scholarship.

The MECA Scholarship Program awards one $500 scholarship to a regional electric cooperative member’s child graduating from high school or currently attending an undergraduate college. Elyse Byrd, Columbia Falls High School, received the 2023 $500 Montana Electric Cooperatives Association Memorial Scholarship for the Northwest District.

Finally, to encourage youth involvement in the co-op, several $500 door prize scholarships are awarded yearly to high school seniors attending the annual meeting. This year’s winners are Kya West and Elaine Reed, Columbia Falls High School; Xavier Stout, Glacier High School; and Henry Seigmund, Whitefish High School.

To learn more about scholarship opportunities, visit flatheadelectric.com/scholarships

Flathead Electric Cooperative scholarship program winners from Whitefish High School:

Cody Hoover, MSU, biology; Ian Finley, MSU, business.