NEWBERRY – Applications for the Newberry-PMPA Community Scholar Scholarship will be accepted by the City of Newberry through April 5. The annual scholarship awards four qualifying high school seniors $500 towards their tuition to any South Carolina accredited university/college or technical college.
The Piedmont Municipal Power Agency (PMPA) is a joint action agency formed by 10 municipal electric utilities, including Newberry, in the northwest section of South Carolina. The agency provides wholesale electric service to its members primarily through a 25 percent ownership interest in Unit 2 of the Catawba Nuclear Station in York County.
This will be the sixth year that the City of Newberry has been able to provide this scholarship to students through PMPA. In the previous five years, a total of 13 students have received the scholarship.
City of Newberry Utility Director Tim Baker said this gives students the opportunity to learn more about public power in their community.
“I’m very happy that PMPA is able to grant these scholarships to students in our area,” Baker said.
Applicants must have attended at minimum, three years of high school or home-schooling within the city limits of Newberry and obtained a high school degree. They must also have a legal guardian who is a current residential utility customer of the City of Newberry Utilities Department.
They must also demonstrate personal leadership as reflected in a leadership role related to academic, co-curricular organization and clubs, community or church service, athletics or other similar areas.
It must be shown that the applicant has outstanding academic potential, as evidenced by a GPA of 2.5 or higher in college-preparatory coursework and a combined score of 950 on the SAT test or the equivalency of 20 on the ACT test.
Interested applicants that meet the above qualifications need to submit their application along with a letter of recommendation from a non-relative to attest to their character. A copy of SAT and ACT scores as well as a current high school transcript must also be included. To receive the scholarship, applicants must attend a South Carolina accredited university, college or technical college and provide a letter of acceptance to that school.
The deadline for submissions to the City of Newberry is 5 p.m. April 5. A scholarship Committee will select the winners of the scholarships. Each application will be assigned a “blind” designation so the committee has no prior knowledge of who the applicant is for each submittal. As a result, city personnel and relatives are eligible to enter the contest.
In case of a tie, a personal interview may be requested of the finalists.
“I’m proud of the fact that the scholar program recognizes students right here in the City of Newberry,” said City Manager Matt DeWitt. “Going to college, especially for first generation college students, can be a very trying and intimidating process. Our scholarship program has helped lighten the load for many local students over the years who decide to pursue attending a college within the state of South Carolina.”
Winners of the scholarship will be announced in May. A first and second alternate will also be selected in the event a winner becomes ineligible. After winners have been chosen and a letter of acceptance from a South Carolina university, college or technical college has been provided, a check will be made payable to the school in the student’s name and credited to tuition.
Scholarship forms and more information are available on the City of Newberry’s website, www.cityofnewberry.com. A hard copy can also be picked up from Elyssa Haven at City Hall, 1330 College Street.
Scholarship contest details will also be sent to Newberry Academy, Newberry High School, Newberry College, Piedmont Technical College and the Newberry County Career Center.
Applications can either be submitted in person to Haven at City Hall or mailed to Newberry – PMPA Community Scholar, City of Newberry, P.O. Box 538 and made attention to Elyssa Haven. As long as mailed applications are postmarked by the due date they will be accepted.
