NorVal Electric Cooperative offers a variety of scholarship opportunities for member dependents including the NorVal Electric Scholarship, the Montana Electric Cooperatives' Association Memorial Scholarship, the Basin Electric $1,000.00 Scholarship and the NorVal Electric Work Force Development Scholarship. NorVal Electric's scholarships are funded primarily by unclaimed capital credits. Despite the Co-op's best efforts to return capital credits to our members, many go unclaimed (people move and don't provide a forwarding address, for example). As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, the state allows NorVal Electric to use capital credits that go unclaimed for five or more years for educational purposes in our service areas, rather than going into the Montana general fund.
NorVal Electric Scholarship
NorVal Electric will award scholarships in the amounts of $200, $300 and $500. Any graduating student whose parent or guardian is served by NorVal Electric is eligible to apply. NorVal Electric has combined its application with MECA and each applicant will only need to submit one application for both of these scholarships. You can find the NorVal Electric and MECA scholarship application below.
Deadline: The scholarship essay and application must be returned to NorVal Electric no later than February 1, 2025.
NorVal MECA Scholarship Application
NorVal MECA Scholarship Information and Instructions
MECA Memorial Scholarship
Montana Electric Cooperatives' Association will award four scholarships (one in each district) in the amount of $500 each. In order to apply, the applicant's parent or guardian must be a member of an electric cooperative and the cooperative must be a member of Montana Electric Cooperatives' Association.
Deadline: The scholarship application, transcripts and letter of recommendation must be returned to NorVal Electric no later than February 1, 2025.
NorVal MECA Scholarship Application
NorVal MECA Scholarship Information and Instructions
Basin Electric Power Cooperative Scholarship
Basin Electric Power Cooperative will award more than 150 scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each. Dependent children of member-system consumers and dependent children of member-cooperative employees are eligible. The applicant must also be a U.S. citizen. The applicant must be a student who is enrolled or planning to enroll in a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited, two-year or four-year college, university or vocational/technical school. More information can be found in the brochure below.
Deadline: The scholarship essay and application must be returned to NorVal Electric no later than February 1, 2025.
Basin Electric Scholarship Application
Basin Electric Scholarship Brochure
NorVal Electric Cooperative Work Force Development Scholarship
The NorVal Electric Work Force Development Scholarship is designated for a student dependent entering an accredited lineman school and planning to return to Montana after certification. By providing this scholarship, NorVal is promoting personal development of its consumers and helping develop its future workforce. The scholarship is payable after the successful completion of half the required course work. NorVal may interview the scholarship finalists before the final selection is made and successful applicants will be notified by letter. NorVal has no obligation to offer a scholarship recipient a job and recipients have no obligation to accept a job offer from NorVal.