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FRED Scholarship Program
The
Foundation for Rural Education and Development
(FRED) is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation
located in Washington, D.C. and affiliated with
the
Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of
Small Telecommunications Companies
(OPASTCO). FRED's mission is to promote
activities that improve rural educational, social
and economic conditions.
Through
the
FRED Scholarship Program,
Technology Grants
for rural schools,
Ethyl Grants
for community development and the
Teacher of the
Year program, more than $180,000 in
funds are awarded each year to rural students,
residents and communities in OPASTCO members'
service areas. In addition, each year 15 rural
students are selected to participate in the
Leadership
Through Learning Youth Program, an
all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to learn
about the federal government and the
telecommunications industry.
Scholarships are funded by a Scholarship Endowment
Fund that was established in 1992 and the Annual
Giving Campaign. Corporate sponsors provide
funding for other FRED programs.
Open to:
- High School Seniors
- Current college
students,
- Non-traditional students
* All
of which must reside in Pioneer
Communications' telecommunications service areas
to be eligible for consideration.
Application:
Download the 2010 FRED
Scholarship Program application
(Adobe Acrobat PDF, 742KB).
Applications may also be obtained from your
nearest Pioneer Communications office,
or from your local High School
Counselor's office.
Application Deadline:
January 29, 2010, is the deadline to
submit your application to Pioneer
Communications for review and
preparation of a letter of nomination.
Application Submission: Applications
must be submitted to Pioneer
Communications at the address below, one
week in advance of the application
deadline
FRED
Scholarship Program
Pioneer Communications
120 West Kansas Avenue
Ulysses, Kansas 67880
Frequently Asked Questions
|
Q: |
Who may apply for FRED Scholarships? |
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A: |
Any student nominated by an OPASTCO member
company and attending or planning to
attend an accredited college, university,
or trade/vocational school may apply.
Non-traditional students are also
encouraged to apply. |
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|
Q: |
Do students need to be interested in a
career in telecommunications to apply for
a FRED Scholarship? |
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A: |
No. Any student living in the service area
of any OPASTCO member company, attending
or planning to attend a college,
university or trade school is eligible to
apply. Interest in pursuing a career in
telecommunications is not required for the
FRED General Scholarship. |
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|
Q: |
Are students eligible to apply for more
than one scholarship type? |
|
A: |
Yes. Students may submit one application
to be considered for all scholarships for
which they are eligible. Note that the
Telecommunications Internship Scholarship
requires additional materials, as
indicated on the application form. |
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|
Q: |
Are students eligible to receive more
than one FRED scholarship each year? |
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A: |
No. |
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|
Q: |
May previous scholarship winners
reapply? |
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A: |
Since all FRED scholarships, except the
Rural Round-trip Ticket, are one-time
awards, students who have received FRED
scholarships in the past are eligible to
apply in subsequent years. However,
strongest consideration will be given to
new applicants. Previous scholarship
recipients are not eligible for the Rural
Round-trip Ticket scholarship.
Additionally, Rural Round-trip Ticket
scholarship recipients are ineligible to
receive other FRED scholarships. |
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|
Q: |
May I submit a photocopy of this
application form? |
|
A: |
Yes. OPASTCO member companies may make
photocopies of this application to
distribute to multiple schools, and
schools may photocopy applications for
students. |
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|
Q: |
How should I submit the application? |
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A: |
Please submit 3 copies of the application
to Pioneer Communications, the
sponsoring telephone company, at
the address listed above.
It is helpful for the scholarship
committee if all materials are submitted
in the order they are listed on the
check-off sheet in the application. Please
make sure all materials are enclosed.
Incomplete applications will not be
reviewed. |
For more information
about the Foundation for Rural Education
and Development, please visit the
FRED website. |
