Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc. recently reminded area high school students that applications are being accepted for its 2012 scholarship program. The member-owned electric utility will award six cash scholarships in all, totaling $12,000 in scholarships.

Students will compete in two divisions (boys and girls) for scholarships of $2,500, $2,000, and $1,500 in each division.

The cooperative encourages all eligible students to apply. The contest is open to high school seniors who have a grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale, will be attending an accredited institution of higher learning next fall, and whose parents or guardians are members of and live in a home served by the Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative. Local first-place winners will compete April 2012 for the statewide Rural Electric Scholarship with scholarships of first place - $2,900, second place - $2,000, third place - $1,700, fourth place - $1,600, fifth place - $1,500, sixth place - $1,400 and seventh place - $1,300 for a total amount of $24,800 awarded.

Applications and a complete set of rules for the scholarship competition can be obtained from their school’s guidance office, or at http://www.hwecoop.com. Deadline for completed applications to be returned to the cooperative is Jan. 31, 2012.

Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc. is a member-owned, nonprofit electric cooperative serving approximately 16,900 members in Holmes, Wayne, Ashland, Medina, Stark, Tuscarawas, Knox and Coshocton counties. Headquarters are in Millersburg, with a district office in West Salem.