Credit union scholarships still available

Application deadline for students is February 24

There still are a couple of weeks left for students throughout New Mexico to apply for one of the annual New Mexico Credit Union Education Foundation Scholarships, which delivered more than $150,000 in awards last year. The deadline to apply is Feb. 24. Visit the Credit Union Association of New Mexico’s website (http:// www.cuanm.com) to download an application.

Each year, the NMCUEF awards postsecondary scholarships to deserving students who show a demonstrated commitment to academic success, organizers said in a news release.

Selected winners must be New Mexico residents and meet a number of requirements, including grade point average and full-time enrollment.

“We know that education is a powerful tool for change and improvement,” NMCUEF administrator Amy Vigil said in a statement. “This year’s scholarship recipients could be New Mexico’s next leaders, individuals with the commitment, drive, and education to make a positive impact in their respective communities, and New Mexico at large.”

This unique program formed through special legislation that allows credit unions to use abandoned funds for educational or charitable purposes.

The NMCUEF program, established in 1992, has presented 1,705 scholarships, for a total of $1,348,600, to students attending accredited vocational or technical schools, colleges or universities in New Mexico.

Scholarship winners can use the money help offset the cost of their postsecondary education. The foundation awarded $153,000 in scholarships to New Mexico students last year.

“We are excited to award these scholarships to New Mexico students, to support their pursuit of education, the exploration of their individual career paths, and the greater New Mexico economy and community,” Vigil said.