NEWBERRY COUNTY — The Newberry Soil and Water Conservation District and Keep Newberry County Beautiful are once again offering scholarships to Newberry County students.
NSWCD will be offering two $1,000 scholarships, and KNCB will be offering two $500 scholarships to a graduating senior or current college student from Newberry County. Students who may not live in Newberry County, but attend Newberry College or the Newberry Campus of Piedmont Technical College are also eligible to apply.
For the NSWCD scholarship, Joseph Berry, NSWCD district coordinator and KNCB executive director, said this will go to anyone in or going to college trying to focus on agriculture, Wildlife Biology, forestry, Ag education, environmental natural resources field, or any related field. For the KNCB scholarships, he said these aren’t as restrictive.
“Show us that you are an active member of your community, and along with that how you help keep Newberry County beautiful. So the essay questions and short answer questions, those kinda pertain toward how you help keep Newberry County looking good,” Berry said.
For both applications, students will need to answer a few short answer questions, and write an essay, about 1,500-2,000 words. Berry said the essay is so the judges know the gist of who you are.
“This year, we have three different options for each essay, they can choose which to answer. Some freedom in which ones they think they can do the best in,” he said.
For example, one of the essay questions for the NSWCD is as simple as, “with your intended degree how do you plan to pay the scholarship forward?”
To apply students will need to fill out the application form, answer the short answer questions and one of the essays. Students will also need to provide their most recent transcripts and a letter of their college acceptance, or enrollment letter.
“We need that college information so we know where to send the money, we’ll send the scholarship funds directly to the schools,” Berry said.
One thing different from previous year’s applications is no letter of recommendation requirement. Berry said they looked at the application more objectively, and they felt that may have been creating barriers for students.
Berry moved the deadline to submit this application to Friday, April 26, the selection day will be May 31. It is also worth noting that this will be a “blind” application process, meaning names, or any information in the application that may reveal who you are to judges, will be redacted.
Applications can be picked up at 719 Kendall Road, Newberry, or by following this link www.newberryswcd.com/scholarship.
All applications must be mailed to or dropped off at the Newberry Soil and Water Conservation District office located in the USDA Service Center at 719 Kendall Road, Newberry, SC 29108. This year email applications will be accepted to NewberrySoilAndWater@gmail.com. NSWCD also offers as a fillable .pdf version to be completed online at their website www.NewberrySWCD.com.
