East Tennessee Foundation Scholarship Opportunities Continue to Grow

Tuesday January 03, 2012
In ETF’s 25th Year, Scholarships available in 25 Counties!

Beginning in 2012, there will be at least one East Tennessee Foundation (ETF) Scholarship available to residents of each county in our 25-county region.

The 2012 Scholarship Season welcomes six new scholarship awards! The 2012 East Tennessee Foundation Scholarship Guide and Application are now available at www.easttennesseefoundation.org.

Lawrence Dean Strader, through a bequest in his will, has left funds to establish three separate and unique scholarships which will begin awarding in 2012. The scholarships include: Knox Central High School Class of '50 Alumni Association-Strader Scholarship, the Strader Family Fort Scott High School Scholarship, and the Lawrence Strader Boy Scouts of America Scholarship. A member of the graduating class of 1950 of Central High School in Knoxville, Mr. Strader graduated from the University of Tennessee, and was employed by the Reading Railroad. He earned the Eagle Scout rank as a Boy Scout and helped form a Ham Radio club for young Scouts. He loved East Tennessee and his legacy of these scholarships will truly change the lives of young people in the region.

The Knox Central High School Class of '50 Alumni Association-Strader Scholarship was established in 2010 to provide scholarship assistance to graduating seniors from Central High School in Knoxville with demonstrated financial need, who would not otherwise qualify for financial assistance based upon academic achievement. These are the students who have definite potential, but whose academic record, for a variety of reasons, would be unlikely to earn them a scholarship. Recipients must enroll full-time in an accredited college/university or attend a post-secondary education program or trade school accredited by the appropriate accrediting body for the particular course of study.

The Strader Family Fort Scott High School Scholarship was also established in 2010 to provide scholarship assistance to students with potential, demonstrated financial need, and whose academic records may not qualify them for financial assistance. For this scholarship, the students must be graduating seniors from Fort Scott High School in Fort Scott, Kansas, a school attended by Mr. Strader's father. Recipients must enroll full-time in an accredited college/university or attend a post-secondary education program or trade school accredited by the appropriate accrediting body for the particular course of study.

The Lawrence Strader Boy Scouts of America Scholarship provides assistance to low-income members of the Great Smoky Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Applicants must be graduating seniors who are currently registered members of the Great Smoky Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and who have participated in the Boy Scouts for at least three years. Recipients must enroll full-time in an accredited public or private, not-for-profit college or university.

The James K. Goldston INFOSEC Scholarship was established in 2006 by the family of James K. Goldston to provide assistance to students from Tennessee to pursue undergraduate programs of study with a National Security Agency-approved Information Security (INFOSEC) curriculum. Applicants must be graduating seniors who demonstrate financial need and must enroll full-time in a National Security Agency-approved Information Security (INFOSEC) curriculum in the state of Tennessee.

The McMinn County High School Alumni Association Scholarship, established in 2001, will also be making its first award in 2012. This scholarship is intended to assist graduating seniors from McMinn County High School to enroll in an institution of higher education. Applicants must have attended McMinn County High School for at least two years, have financial need, and must enroll full-time at an accredited, not-for-profit college, university, vocational or trade school.

The Oak Ridge Rotary Club Brad Sturm Memorial Scholarship Essay Contest was established in 1976 by Melvin and Fran Sturm to encourage Oak Ridge High School Seniors to learn more about the economy of the United States and of other countries, and to assist students in continuing their educations. The scholarship was moved to East Tennessee Foundation in 2011. Applicants must complete an essay based on a topic selected by the Noon Oak Ridge Rotary Club. Recipients must enroll full-time in an accredited public or private, not-for-profit college or university.

ETF scholarship program requirements range from financial need to scholastic achievement. Several scholarships are targeted toward specific schools or counties, students involved in certain extracurricular activities, or those who may not display the highest scholastic rankings yet still possess great potential and motivation. Others are geared toward students pursuing a specific field, such as business or nursing.

In fall 2011, over $180,000 was disbursed in scholarship monies to 118 students participating in ETF scholarship programs. Scholarships provided through ETF help fulfill the dreams of those students wishing to obtain a secondary education, whether they are graduating high school seniors or returning adult students.

Scholarships administered by ETF allow individuals and groups to honor loved ones while helping change the lives of those pursuing higher education. Many of the scholarships have been established to honor the memory of a lost parent, spouse or child. Some have been founded to honor teachers, coaches or prominent community leaders.

East Tennessee Foundation scholarships change lives, one person at a time. As we "invest" in our students, we are also investing in our region's future.

For more information, please contact Beth Heller, ETF Scholarship and Program Officer, at
(865) 524-1223, toll free at 1-877-524-1223 or by e-mail at bheller@etf.org. For additional information about the scholarships available through ETF, please visit www.easttennesseefoundation.org.

Back To News Releases