SPRINGFIELD — SELCO Community Credit Union is accepting applications through March 31 for its expanded SELCO Steps Up scholarship program, which will award nearly $80,000 in student support.
The program offers 20 scholarships of $3,500 each to traditional, nontraditional, and vocational students, along with the $7,500 Richard Metzler Opportunity Scholarship for a Lane County student who has triumphed over adversity.
Revamped in 2024, the scholarship eligibility now includes vocational and continuing education students, reflecting changes in educational trends. Trade school enrollment surged 4.9% nationwide from 2020 to 2023, while university enrollment slipped 0.6% over the same period, according to a recently released report by Validated Insights, a higher education marketing firm.
Reese Biehler, a 2024 recipient from Cottage Grove, used his scholarship to attend the Northwest Lineman College in Idaho. He was among the first to use a SELCO scholarship to attend a vocational school.
“Becoming the first person to receive a SELCO scholarship for the trades was an amazing feeling,” said Biehler, who now works as an aerial lineman for internet provider Hunter Communications. “With the help of that scholarship, I completed my training, and I am already in my career. Earning that scholarship was a big help, and it truly made me feel like I was included.”
To qualify, applicants must:
• Plan to attend a vocational school or an accredited college/university.
• Be SELCO members or immediate family members of a member. Membership is open to anyone living or working in the 27 Oregon counties SELCO serves.
• Have a GED or a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher from an accredited high school.
