As any college student knows, money is often scarce, between books, tuition, and basic everyday needs the cost of education can seem insurmountable. While many great scholarships are available to these students, one often overlooked scholarship can be found right in the middle of Glasgow.
Each year, The Community Actions Services Office takes applications for a $1,000 community services block grant scholarship. Sandy Hagan, County Coordinator for the office spoke to WCLU describing the ways in which this scholarship can be applied.
The scholarship can be used at any accredited school within the state, with Hagan sharing a success story from a recent recipient.
The application is relatively simple as far as scholarships go, with applicants needing to provide financial documentation to check their eligibility, and then the applicant is asked to write a paragraph about how the applicant will come back into the community to invest the skills and education gained from their college experience.
Interestingly, the office provides two $1000 scholarships. One is given to a graduating senior and the other is given to a non-traditional student, with Hagan giving the example of someone who has not recently graduated from high school, opening the doors to Barren County’s adult and elderly demographics to aid in the journey to expanding their education.
Unfortunately, applications are few as Hagan pointed out that some years the office has seen zero applicants. As Hagan points out, the idea of an income-based scholarship can be intimidating.
Those interested should begin the application process quickly as the due date is set for April 9th.
Hagan also pointed to another fast-approaching deadline for the Low-Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which assists low-income households with their energy needs.
The Community Action Office provides Barren County (as well as 10 surrounding counties) a safety net for our most vulnerable populations. Whether the assistance they offer is used for a high school senior going to a college or helping an underprivileged family keep their lights on, Hagan made one thing very clear, that going through the application process for any of its services comes without any penalty to the applicant and she encourages struggling individuals to call their office to see if they are eligible to benefit from any of the offices many programs.
The Community Action Office is located at 411 Happy Valley Road in Glasgow and can be contacted at 270-651-8171.
