Dec 25, 2012 2 min read

WAYNESBURG – Applications are now available for the 2013 County of Greene/West Penn Power Scholarship, which will be awarded to two graduating seniors from each of the county’s five school districts. Completed applications must be submitted to each high school’s guidance office no later than March 28.

Applications were sent to high schools in the county’s five school districts – Carmichaels Area, Central Greene, Jefferson-Morgan, Southeastern Greene and West Greene. Each school should forward completed applications to Waynesburg University’s Admissions office no later than April 8.

A committee of Waynesburg University and County of Greene representatives will then review and blind-judge all applications from the five school districts. Two students from each school district will be selected by the committee to receive a $1,000 award for their first year of enrollment at Waynesburg University.

In order to be eligible to receive the scholarship, applicants must have a cumulative high school grade point average of at least 3.0 and be accepted to Waynesburg University entering as a new, non-transfer student for the fall 2013 semester.

Funding for the scholarship was made available through Allegheny Energy Inc., as part of an agreement reached with Greene County in 2008 related to the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line project. In the agreement, Allegheny Energy subsidiary Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Company agreed to contribute $750,000 to the county for educational, environmental, public health and community infrastructure projects.

In June 2009, the Greene County commissioners and officials from Allegheny Energy Inc. – which subsequently merged with FirstEnergy Corp. – presented Waynesburg University with $100,000 to start the scholarship, and a second $100,000 gift was presented in 2010. In 2011, the commissioners and officials from FirstEnergy made a final donation of $50,000 to the scholarship fund, bringing the total to $250,000 and ensuring the scholarship’s permanent endowment at Waynesburg University.

Formerly known as the County of Greene/Allegheny Energy Scholarship, the merger necessitated a slight change in the scholarship’s name to include West Penn Power, FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania subsidiary.

During the scholarship’s inaugural year, five 2010 Greene County high school graduates each received $1,000 awards. The number of recipients increased in 2011, allowing multiple students from each high school to receive $1,000 scholarships. Nine students received scholarships in 2011, and 10 students were awarded in 2012.

For more information on the County of Greene/West Penn Power Scholarship, call the Greene County Commissioners’ office at 724-852-5210, or Jessica Sumpter in the Waynesburg University Admissions office at 724-852-3446, or e-mail jsumpter@waynesburg.edu.