Flathead Electric Co-op Announces Scholarship Winners

Flathead Electric Cooperative announced the recipients of its 2023 scholarship program, which awarded a total of $118,000 to local students.

This year, 26 recipients received scholarships from the Flathead Electric Cooperative's unclaimed credits funded scholarships. The money comes from capital credits that can’t be returned to members who often move and do not give the Coop a new mailing address.

Montana allows not-for-profit electric cooperatives to put the capital credits that've gone unclaimed for five or more years toward educational services in their service area.

For the full list of scholarship recipients, scroll down.

Flathead Electric Cooperative released the following information:

Flathead Electric Cooperative is pleased to announce 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. A list of the 26 winners follows below.

In addition to the Co-op's unclaimed capital credits funded scholarships, Basin Electric Power Cooperative (BEPC) and the Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association (MECA) 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 (MECA) 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, please visit flatheadelectric.com/scholarships.

Flathead Electric Cooperative Scholarship Program Winners:

Bigfork High School

Flathead High School

Glacier High School

Libby High School

Undergraduates