Credit union, association offer scholarships

Consumers Cooperative Association, Consumers Credit Union's sponsor, is looking to provide six $2,000 scholarships to high school seniors.

Applications will be available at all CCU locations and on the credit union's website, myconsumers.org, starting Sept. 1. Applicants must be on pace to graduate high school in spring 2016 or sooner.

"CCA is extremely proud to offer youth within the community an opportunity to further their educational goals," Consumers Cooperative Association President Julian Penny said.

"The Scholarship Committee of the Association always looks forward to reviewing applications. The applicants' comments underscore the importance of a quality education for our students, a fact that's further reflected by the number and quality of the applications we receive during the review process."

Applications must include the student's official high school transcript through junior year, along with a copy of the student's grades for the current academic year. In addition to CCU locations and myconsumers.org, applications are scheduled to be available at local high schools soon. The applications must be submitted no later than Dec. 31.

Those applying will be evaluated in the following categories: academic performance, financial need, leadership abilities, and community involvement.

High school students scheduled to graduate by the spring of 2016 are eligible to apply, provided the applicant and/or parent or guardian has been a member of Consumers Credit Union for one year or more.

Completed applications must include a nonreturnable photo of the student. Those awarded scholarships will be featured in upcoming CCU media publications and will be recognized at the credit union's annual meeting on March 16.

"It is critical that we continue to recognize academic achievements of our young people in the community," CCU President Sean M. Rathjen said. "Both CCU and the association, our sponsor, are committed to the advancement of our young people by way of higher education, because we know today's children are tomorrow's leaders.

"We are proud to support this important initiative made possible by the association for our youth and look forward to the great things they are sure to achieve as a result of their hard work."

For more information about Consumers Cooperative Association's scholarship program, contact Karen Evans, CCU's human resources manager, at (847) 265-5517. Consumers Credit Union is member-owned with offices in Waukegan, Mundelein, Round Lake Beach, Gurnee, North Waukegan and Volo, and online at www.myconsumers.org.