Graduating Students Hugging

The WIRE Opportunity Scholarship is awarded to a woman who may not have been able to attend college when she graduated from high school, but now wants to further her education. The $2,500 one-time scholarship will be presented to an electric cooperative member in South Carolina based on the applicant’s information. 

Applicants for the WIRE Opportunity Scholarship must:

  • Be a member/customer of a South Carolina electric cooperative
  • Have graduated from high school or earned your GED at least 10 years ago
  • Obtain acceptance into an accredited college or university
  • Demonstrate financial need

Applicants who have already obtained a four-year bachelor's degree are not eligible for this scholarship. Applicants who have earned a two-year degree or some college credits, or are just beginning, are qualified for this scholarship.

To ensure that an electric cooperative board member/trustee, officer, or employee is not in a position to derive a direct or indirect private benefit if a particular applicant is selected, all applicants will be required to disclose any familial or business relationship in their application. No applicant will be selected as a recipient if that applicant is a family member of any cooperative officer, director, or employee. For this purpose, family members include spouses, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and the spouses of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

The deadline to apply is June 1, 2024. The recipient will receive the scholarship for the Fall 2024 or Spring 2025 semester, which must be used during this specific time frame. The scholarship funds must be used in the Fall or Spring semester within the same school year it is awarded. The scholarship will be paid to the recipient's college of choice.