2016 BLUEBONNET SCHOLARSHIPS OF EXCELLENCE — ACADEMIC Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative will award twenty-five $2,500 Scholarships of Excellence to eligible high school seniors graduating in 2016. The scholarships are for students who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree from a university, college, or community or junior college. Eligibility requirements To be considered for a Bluebonnet Academic Scholarship, applicant must: •

Be a 2016 graduating senior of a high school or an accredited Home Extended Studies program.

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Live in the home of a parent or legal guardian who is a current Bluebonnet member with an active account and resides in Bluebonnet’s service area (including city limits that are within Bluebonnet’s service area)

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Deliver a current original high school transcript with class size, ranking and a GPA of 2.75 or higher (based on an 85-100 point scale).

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Turn in a completed 2016 Bluebonnet Academic Scholarship application. Application can be filled out online and printed out. The application must be signed and delivered to any one of Bluebonnet’s five member service centers or mailed to Bluebonnet’s Scholarship Coordinator. Applications must be received or postmarked by 5 p.m. March 25, 2016.

Application information and guidelines The scholarship requirements and applications will be available through area high school counselors and vocational instructors, at any of Bluebonnet’s five member service centers and online at bluebonnet.coop – from the home page, click on Community, then Scholarships. •

Applications must be filled out online and printed out, signed and delivered to a Bluebonnet member service center or mailed to the Bluebonnet Scholarship Coordinator at P.O. Box 729, Bastrop, TX 78602. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. March 25, 2016.

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All applications and attachments become the property of Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, Inc., and will not be returned.

Student application judging criteria Applicants must write essays of 75 words or less addressing each of the six statements below as they relate to Bluebonnet’s Foundation Values, which are attached to the application. The six Foundation Values are: • • • • • •

SAFETY — Give examples of how Safety could improve your life. COURAGE — Explain various ways you believe Courage can be experienced. RESPECT — Explain how someone you know has demonstrated Respect. RELIABILITY — Give an example or examples of how you demonstrate Reliability. COMMUNITY — What value do you see in Community service? LOVE — Give examples of how you apply Love in your life.

Review and judging process All applications will be reviewed and verified by Bluebonnet’s Scholarship Committee. Applicants must be available to attend a personal interview with scholarship judges if requested.

Scholarship payment Each $2,500 scholarship will be paid in a lump sum to the financial aid, scholarship or business office of the university, college, or community or junior college the recipient will attend. The payment will be made in July 2016 and applied to the recipient’s school account.

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2016 ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION Applicant’s name: Mailing & 911 address: City & ZIP code: County: Home phone: Cell phone: Date of birth: Applicant’s email address: Last four digits of applicant’s Social Security number: Parent(s) / legal guardian(s) name(s): Member name on Bluebonnet account: Bluebonnet account number: Bluebonnet member relationship to applicant: Name of high school: Expected graduation date: Universities, colleges, or community or junior colleges applicant is interested in attending. If applicant has already been accepted to a school, list only that institution on the line below and attach a copy of the letter of acceptance.

Major you are interested in: ___________________________________________________

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COMPLETE ALL SIX ESSAYS Bluebonnet’s Foundation Values can be found at the end of the application.

First essay — Narrative of 75 words or less. Based on Bluebonnet’s Foundation Value of SAFETY, give examples of how Safety could improve your life.

Second essay — Narrative of 75 words or less. Based on Bluebonnet’s Foundation Value of COURAGE, explain various ways you believe Courage can be experienced.

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Third essay — Narrative of 75 words or less. Based on Bluebonnet’s Foundation Value of RESPECT, explain how someone you know has demonstrated Respect.

Fourth essay — Narrative of 75 words or less. Based on Bluebonnet’s Foundation Value of RELIABILITY, give an example or examples of how you demonstrate Reliability.

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Fifth essay — Narrative of 75 words or less. Based on Bluebonnet’s Foundation Value of COMMUNITY, what value do you see in Community service?

Sixth essay — Narrative of 75 words or less. Based on Bluebonnet’s Foundation Value of LOVE, give an example of how you apply love in your life.

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APPLICATION CHECKLIST Scholarship applications will be accepted if Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, Inc., has received all of the following information by 5 p.m. March 25, 2016: ¨ A completed, typed application (including all essays). ¨ Parent or legal guardian’s current Bluebonnet account number and the name on the account. ¨ Current original high school transcript with class size, ranking and a GPA of 2.75 or higher (based on an 85-100 point scale). ¨ Signatures from applicant and parent or legal guardian. Return completed scholarship application to: Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, Inc. Karen Urban, Scholarship Coordinator P.O. Box 729 Bastrop, TX 78602 Applications must be complete and signed with all required attachments included. Applications must be received at a Bluebonnet Member Service Center or postmarked by 5 p.m. Friday, March 25, 2016.

Winners will be notified on or before April 15, 2016. A Scholarship Reception will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, April 25, 2016, at Bluebonnet’s Headquarters, 155 Electric Ave., Bastrop. I, the undersigned, agree to permit the review of this application and my school records by members of the Bluebonnet Scholarship Committee.

Applicant Signature

Date

Parent/Guardian Signature

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Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative

Foundation Values SAFETY: We are committed to the safety of our employees, our members and our

communities. We support, encourage and educate our employees and members on ways to protect themselves and the environment in which we live.

COURAGE: We speak openly and honestly and ask others to do the same,

encouraging truthfulness and candor even in the face of uncomfortable or unpopular decisions. We listen with an open mind and discuss our differences with the purpose of mutual resolution. We embrace the often dangerous nature of our work and exercise the courage it takes to fulfill our mission.

RESPECT: We respect one another and value the diverse contributions of all team members, each of whom is empowered to exercise leadership and can contribute toward the achievement of excellence in all we do.

RELIABILITY: Whether working alone or on a team, we can be counted on to get the job done. We are committed to our members and our co-workers to provide services vital to the lives of others.

COMMUNITY: We are committed to member and community service, and face business decisions by considering first the needs of our members and community.

LOVE: We act with compassion and understanding in the relationships we form through our work. While never sacrificing dignity or discipline, we approach each opportunity with enthusiasm and challenge ourselves to create an environment that is exciting and fun.

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