First Wind seeks scholarship applications

BOSTON — First Wind, an independent U.S.-based renewable energy company, today announced that applications are now open and available online for its annual 2014 scholarship program. Entering its fifth full year, First Wind Scholars will make scholarships available to qualified high school seniors in communities where the company currently has projects in operation or in advanced stages of development.    “As we enter our fifth year, we are thrilled to open the application process and further expand our First Wind Scholars program, which highlights our commitment to our host communities and encouragement for future generations,” said Carol Grant, senior vice president of external affairs at First Wind. “In the past four years alone, we have committed nearly $250,000 to 59 students. We urge students to continue to take advantage of this scholarship program to invest in their future as energy, environment, science, and technology leaders.”
As part of the 2014 program, 16 one-time awards will be granted to students within host communities in Hawaii, Maine, New York, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Massachusetts, and the company’s home city of Boston. Qualified students enrolling in full-time degree programs with an interest in science, technology and/or the environment are invited to apply. First Wind Scholars recipients will be awarded a one-time $3,000 scholarship for one year. The company also awards one scholarship of $5,000, renewable for up to four years, to the year’s single most qualified applicant.
In order to be eligible for the scholarship, students need a GPA of at least 2.75 and must plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study with a focus in the sciences, technology and/or engineering. Applications are open and available online as of today, with all submissions due by February 15, 2014. Applications are evaluated on a number of factors, including academic performance, work experience, school and community activities and a 300-word essay. The First Wind Scholars recipients will be announced in May 2014.
High school seniors who attend a public or private high school near some First Wind projects, whether operational or in an advanced stage of development, are eligible to apply.
Since 2009, First Wind has issued fifty-five (55) one-year, $3,000 scholarships for college-bound high school students from project communities, who have an expressed interest in science, technology and/or the environment. Additionally, First Wind has issued four (4) four-year, $20,000 scholarships for select students from the applicant pools.
The program and selection of recipients is administered by Scholarship Management Services, a leading designer and manager of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations and other institutions. The First Wind Scholars program has grown each year and scholarships totaling $245,000 have been awarded. For more information, or for eligible students to fill out an e-application, please visit http://www.firstwind.com/scholars.