2027 WFEC Scholarship Application

2027 WFEC Scholarship Application

Power Your Future with a Scholarship from West Florida Electric Cooperative!
West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC) is proud to offer thirteen (13) $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors in its four-county service area. One scholarship will be awarded to each eligible high school, plus one scholarship for a home-schooled student.

Scholarships may be used at any accredited college, university, vocational school, or technical institution.

Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Parents or legal guardians must be a WFEC member receiving electric service on the cooperative's distribution lines.
- Student must graduate in 2027 from an eligible high school within the WFEC service area or be a home-schooled student residing within the service area.
How to Apply
Complete the application below to apply. To be considered, applicants must submit the following by 5:00 p.m. on January 21, 2027.
1. A completed scholarship application.
2. A 500–1,000-word essay on the following topic:
Can AI data centers strengthen rural America, or will they place too much strain on rural electric cooperatives?

Artificial intelligence is rapidly increasing the demand for electricity as new AI data centers are built across the United States. Many of these facilities are seeking service from electric cooperatives that have traditionally served rural communities. While some believe data centers bring jobs, investment, and opportunities to modernize the electric grid, others worry they could increase costs, strain infrastructure, and challenge the mission of electric cooperatives.

Write a persuasive essay taking a position on whether electric cooperatives should actively pursue serving data centers. Support your argument with evidence, consider opposing viewpoints, and explain how your position would affect cooperative members, local communities, the environment, and the nation’s electric grid.

Things to Remember
- Please do not include your name or any other identifying information within your essay including headers, footers, and page numbers.
- Review the checklist to ensure your submission is complete and all requirements are met.
Scholarship Awards
Scholarship recipients will be announced in the spring of 2027 and recognized during West Florida Electric Cooperative's 2027 Annual Meeting on April 24, 2027.

Scholarship funds will be paid directly to the post-secondary, vocational, or technical institution.
Checklist

2027 WFEC Scholarship Application

Please complete, attach essay, photo, read and sign all disclaimers.
Name

First NameLast Name
High School Name
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Student Contact Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Student Email Address
example@example.com
Parent/Guardian Name

First NameLast Name
Parent/Guardian Contact Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Parent/Guardian WFEC Account Number
Parent/Guardian Email
example@example.com

College/Vocational School Name
College/Vocational School Phone
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
College/Vocational School Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
College/Vocational School Contact Name

First NameLast Name

Current GPA
ACT/SAT Score
Honors/Recognitions
What is your intended field of study?
What degree are you pursuing?
What is your expected graduation date?

MonthDayYear
Date
What is your educational goal?
What is your motivation to succeed?

Select one extracurricular activity you participated in and tell us how it made the biggest impact on you:
Describe your volunteer or community service.
Why is giving back to your community important to you?
How do you plan to continue serving your community in the future?
Please describe your current financial circumstances and explain how this scholarship will help you achieve your educational goals.
Why do you believe you should receive this scholarship?

What are your career aspirations?
What are your short and long-term goals?
What is your motivation to succeed?
Who is your greatest inspiration and why?
How will receiving this scholarship make a difference in your life?

Upload essay here.

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Upload your photo here.

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I certify with my signature that all information reported on this application is true and cor-rect to the best of my knowledge. I understand that the scholarship will be sent directly to my preferred school upon my acceptance and subsequent enrollment. I give permission to West Florida Electric Cooperative to use my name and photograph in its publicity of this program without consideration of compensation to me.

By submitting this application, I certify that my essay is my own original work. I understand that while AI tools may be used for limited proofreading or editing assistance, the essay’s ideas, organization, and written content must be my own. All submitted essays may be re-viewed using an AI detection program. If the AI detection program determines that more than 50% of an essay is likely AI-generated, judges will deduct points from the applicant’s final application and essay scores. Submission of substantially AI-generated content as original work may also result in disqualification from the scholarship competition.
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