November 1, 2019 - 2019 Scholarships announced
2019 Round Up for Education scholarships awarded
The education careers of 214 students from throughout Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association’s 12-county service area will get a financial boost this fall. Each will receive a scholarship of $500 to help them attend state community colleges this year, thanks to the generous spirit and support of the Association’s member-consumers.
This is the seventh year for the Round Up for Education scholar’s program, which is funded by members who round their bills up to the nearest dollar each month. Scholarships are available to members who do the round up, as well as for their spouses or dependent children who are enrolled as freshmen this fall.
“Throughout our history, Pearl River Valley Electric has not only been providing electric service to rural areas, but working to improve the quality of life of our members and the communities where they live,” said General Manager Randy Wallace. “We believe that education is vital to improving the future for all of us in south Mississippi, and the Round Up program was designed to encourage more young people to further their education.
“Members working together to achieve a common goal is a unique hallmark of cooperative organizations, and I am proud of the positive response we’ve received on this effort. As we are now able to see, the accumulation of what would normally be spare change for an individual has added up significantly. These funds will help create long-term educational opportunities as well as economic benefits, which is good for everyone in the communities we serve.
PRVEPA serves more than 50,000 meters. Since the Round Up program began in November 2012, more than $1.4 million has been collected and deposited in an account overseen by the Greater Pine Belt Community Foundation. The result this year is 214 scholarships worth $500 per student. In the program’s 7 years, nearly 1,500 students have now received financial assistance through the program.
“In previous years, ten percent of each year’s funds have been set aside in an endowed fund for future use and the remaining money was divided equally between the number of eligible applicants,” Wallace noted. “This year, in order to increase the endowment and help ensure the program’s viability well into the future, each recipient received $500 and we placed the remainder into the endowment.”
Scholarship recipients this year include 127 students attending Pearl River Community College, 44 at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and 26 at Jones County Junior College. An additional 17 students are attending 9 other state community colleges. Overall, students came from 24 different high schools and home school programs.
“I hope our members are able to see the effects this program can have—helping nearly 1,500 community college students begin their college careers,” said Wallace. “We are thrilled with the results and know that members’ participation in the program will have positive impacts for years to come.”
Round Up for Education funds collected after August 1 go toward next year’s scholarships. Applications for 2020 scholarships will be available beginning this month.
Community Colleges Students are Attending
Pearl River 127
Gulf Coast 44
Jones 26
Hinds 5
Southwest 4
Holmes 2
Coahoma 1
Co-Lin 1
Delta 1
East Central 1
East MS 1
Meridian 1
High Schools Recipients Attended
Stone 42
Oak Grove 34
Forrest Co. AHS 27
Sumrall 19
Purvis 19
West Marion 18
Columbia 9
East Marion 9
Columbia Academy 9
Lamar Christian 7
Others 21