School may have just started, but it is already time for high school seniors to apply for college scholarships, and Lake Oconee Elks Lodge No.
2849 has announced the Elks National Foundation has kicked off its 2023 Most Valuable Student (MVS) scholarship contest.
“Now more than ever, high school seniors face many financial challenges, as they prepare to enter college,” Lake Oconee Elks Scholarship Committee Chair Frank Rowan noted. “So, I would encourage all eligible students to apply.”
The Elks’ MVS scholarship is available to all current high school seniors or equivalent who are United States citizens.
Male and female students compete separately for MVS scholarships and are judged on academics, leadership, financial need and community service.
Applications are to be completed online and must be submitted by midnight Monday, Nov.
14, this year. Students do not need to be related to a member of the Elks to apply.
The Elks National Foundation awards 500 four-year scholarships to the highest-rated applicants each year, with $2.44 million in MVS scholarships earmarked this year for the nation’s future teachers, lawyers, doctors, nurses, engineers and innovators.
National awards range from $1,000 per year up to $12,500 per year for each MVS scholarship recipient.
The Elks have invested wisely in the past. MVS scholars—all of whom demonstrate scholarship, leadership, financial need and community service— graduate from college at a rate of 90 percent, or about 30 percent higher than the national average.
In addition, Lake Oconee Elks Lodge No.
2849 awards a total of nine $1,000 MVS scholarships to local high school seniors from the communities it serves.
Winners are based on Elk MVS scholarship applications completed by high school seniors from the following schools: Greene County High School, Morgan County High School, Nathanael Greene Academy, John Hancock Academy, Lake Oconee Academy and Gatewood Schools.
Note that when completing the application, local students will need to select from a list of Elk Lodges closest to their home address zip code to ensure they are eligible for Lake Oconee Elks Lodge No. 2849.
Complete Most Valuable Student scholarship contest details, including the application, are available on the Elks National Foundation’s website at enf.elks.org/ MVS. Students also are encouraged to contact their high school guidance counselors for further details.
– Contributed