By The People’s Paper MS Staff
High school seniors across Mississippi have a new opportunity to earn financial support for college while sharing their ideas about local government and civic leadership.
The Mississippi Municipal League announced applications are now open for three separate $2,000 scholarship programs designed to encourage students to learn more about municipal government and community leadership.
The scholarships are available to Mississippi high school seniors who plan to attend an accredited community college, college or university in Mississippi.
The scholarship competitions include:
- The MML General Scholarship, co-sponsored by Mississippi Power Company, which is open to all Mississippi high school seniors.
- The MML Limited Scholarship, co-sponsored by Phelps Dunbar, which is open to children or grandchildren of municipal employees or elected officials and students working part-time for a member municipality of the Mississippi Municipal League.
- The Mississippi Municipal Service Company Limited Scholarship, which is open to children or grandchildren of employees or elected officials from municipalities participating in the Mississippi Municipal Liability Plan or the Mississippi Municipal Workers’ Compensation Group.
Students may apply for only one scholarship category.
Applicants must complete an application and submit an essay responding to the prompt: “From the Classroom to City Hall: How Youth Voices Can Shape Local Government.”
Essays must be typed, double-spaced and no longer than 2,000 words. Student names may appear only on the application form.
Students also must submit a separate sheet listing their grade point average and community activities. Scholarship officials said references to race, gender, high school name or hometown are not allowed on the activities sheet or essay.
A panel selected by the Mississippi Municipal League will judge the essays.
Scholarship winners and their parents will be recognized during the MML Awards Luncheon at the Mississippi Municipal League Annual Conference on the Gulf Coast in July. Winning essays also will be published in Mississippi Municipalities magazine.
Scholarship funds will be sent directly to the students’ colleges or universities and deposited into their accounts.
