CEDAR CITY – Women in Business has $12,000 in scholarship money just waiting to be given out to women attending college.
Each year in October, Cedar City Women in Business hosts a Pumpkin Festival. Proceeds from the event go toward a scholarship fund to be awarded to nontraditional female students pursuing an education at an accredited Iron County university or college.
“The scholarship fund was set up to help female college students in Iron County who are returning to school after being out of high school for several years,” Festival chairperson Lori Logue said. “Sometimes we do deviate from that criteria. Like last year we awarded an 18-year-old a scholarship, but for the most part the money is meant for women who are going back to school.”
The 2016 Festival garnered approximately $12,000, nearly $3,000 more than it did the previous year. In 2015, the 16th annual Pumpkin Festival raised $9,000, enabling the group to award 10 scholarships.
The amount of each scholarship awarded is based on the need of the student and can be as little as $500 and up to $2,000. The money can be used for everything from tuition to housing.
A scholarship committee made up of five women chooses the recipients of the funds. However, unlike many scholarship funds, there is generally more money than applicants, Logue said.
“We always have more money than we have people who apply for the money,” Logue said. “So we end up having to recruit applicants because no one really knows about the scholarship money. We want people to apply.”
Women in Business is a nonprofit group whose membership is open to the public. The group assists and supports women in building relationships and self-development by providing opportunities for networking, collaborating, learning and growing. It is also there to strengthen businesses and community, build leaders, and connect with personal purpose and goals, Logue said.
The group hosts regular monthly luncheons and various community activities. For more information on Women in Business and the scholarship or to apply for an award, visit the Cedar Women in Business website at www.cedarwomeninbusiness.com/.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @tracie_sullivan
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