IEC Memorial Scholarships

A total of seventeen $2,500 scholarships will be awarded each year under the Thomas H. Moore IEC Memorial Scholarship Program. These “Official Rules” will govern the award of all the scholarships except for the seventeenth scholarship, the “LaVern and Nola McEntire Memorial Lineworker’s Scholarship” (for that scholarship, please see the separate sheet entitled “LaVern and Nola McEntire Memorial Lineworker’s Scholarship Official Rules & Regulations”). Fifteen scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors who are the sons or daughters of an electric cooperative member who resides in Illinois or who is a member of an Illinois electric cooperative, and who is currently receiving services from the cooperative at the time the scholarship application is submitted. The sixteenth scholarship, the “Earl W. Struck Memorial Scholarship,” will be awarded to a high school senior who is the son or daughter of an electric cooperative employee or director who resides in Illinois.

A scholarship applicant is eligible for consideration in only one of the two above categories. Ten scholarships may be used for educational costs at any two-year or four-year accredited college or university in the United States, including vocational/technical schools. The remaining five scholarships will be reserved for use at a two-year Illinois community college. Sons and daughters of electric cooperative members, employees and directors who reside in Illinois are eligible.

• Applicants are eligible to apply through only one electric cooperative.
• The applicant must be a high school senior.
• The electric cooperative through which a scholarship applicant applies must be a member of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives.
• Scholarship winners must begin undergraduate studies within a year of being notified that they have won.
• Scholarship winners will be expected to be full-time students (at least 12 hours).
• Scholarships are for one year and are not renewable.
• Scholarships will be awarded based on grade point average, college entrance test scores, work and volunteer experience, participation in school and community activities, brief biographical statement, character essay and knowledge of electric cooperatives as demonstrated by a short essay.
• Deadline for receipt of completed applications and submissions is DECEMBER 31, 2024.
• Scholarship winners will be announced by the end of April 2025.

You will not be able to stop the application process and complete it at a later date. Your application must be completed in one sitting.  These scholarships are reserved for students in their senior year of high school.

You must have the following required information ready:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone Number
• Email
• Name and Contact Information of Parent or Guardian
• Electric Cooperative
• Name of High School Attended
• High School Grade Point Average – 100-point scale (e.g. if your school uses a 4-point scale, multiply your GPA by 25. If your school uses a 5-point
•  scale, multiply your GPA by 20)
• Your parent’s or guardian’s legal consent to apply
• Brief Biographical Statement – (approximately 250 words or less) that includes your educational goals, financial need and other pertinent information about yourself that you feel is important. Please do not make any reference to name, county or home location.
• 500 Word Essay – an essay of 500 words or less in your own words – answer the following questions:
  • In the next 20 years, what will electric cooperatives mean to your community? How can they support/engage young adult members?
• Character Essay –  an essay of 500 words or less in your own words.
  • Recall a time when you made a positive difference in someone else’s life (someone who is not a family member) . What did you do?  How did it make them feel?  How did it make you feel?  What motivated you to do this?

Other information you will be able to provide:

• Work and Volunteer Experience – List positions held, for what time period, and whether volunteer or for pay.  Please do not make any reference to name, county, or home location. (Example: “Volunteer at National Honor Society Events, June 2019, Volunteer”) – up to 15
• Participation in School and Community Activities – List activities (both school and non-school) in which you have participated, along with years of membership or participation and offices held.  Please do not make any reference to name, county, or home location.  (Example: “High School Soccer, 2019, 2020, Team Captain”) – up to 15

You are encouraged to prepare your cooperative principles essay, brief character essay, and biographical statement in advance, using a word processing program such as Microsoft Word, so that you may proofread your work.  You may cut and paste your work into the application.