Deadline nearing for three local scholarships

MCCOOK, Neb. -- The deadline is nearing for three local scholarships which are distributed by the McCook Community Foundation Fund.

The application deadline is March 31st for the Bernard and Nelda Haag Scholarship, the Nelson Hometown Scholarship and the Barbara Fassler-Neumann Nursing Scholarship, which will be distributed for the first time this year.

The Bernard and Nelda Haag Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship available annually to either graduating seniors or students currently enrolled in college who are from Red Willow, Furnas, Frontier, Hayes and Hitchcock counties. Each applicant must be entering or currently attending an accredited school of higher education.

The Nelson Institute Fund, an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation, Inc., will grant $1,500 scholarships annually to seniors graduating from McCook High School, Southwest High School and who must attend the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis; Mid-Plains Community College in McCook or North Platte; or the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Eligible applicants must express a desire to return to southwest Nebraska sometime in the future. Special consideration will be given to those applicants expressing a desire to own and operate a business.

The Barbara Fassler-Neumann Nursing Scholarship will be awarded annually to students and residents of Southwest Nebraska. Preference will be given to graduates from McCook High School or to those currently practicing medical professionals who have resided in the area for at least four years. Preference will be given to applicants expressing a desire to return to or stay within the southwest Nebraska area after graduating or receiving accreditation.

Application forms are available from area high school guidance counselor's offices, McCook Community College Financial Aid Office, by email from MCFF Coordinator Ronda Graff at mcffund@gmail.com, or by email from MCFF Secretary Peggy Been at peggy@mnb1.com. The applications are also available on the MCFF page of the Nebraska Community Foundation website: www.nebcommfound.org/fund/mccook.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 31st and can be mailed to MCFF, Box 36, McCook NE 69001 or emailed to mcffund@gmail.com.