HEMC Scholarship

2026 Haywood EMC Scholarships Application Form

Since 2010, Haywood EMC has awarded scholarships to assist high school seniors in Buncombe, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Madison, and Transylvania counties in NC; Rabun County, GA; and Oconee County, SC to attend a community college or university. A total of $5,000 will be awarded in 1-time scholarships from a minimum of $500 to a maximum of $2,500. As a locally owned electric cooperative, Haywood EMC is committed to the communities we serve and recognizes the financial needs of students wanting to attend college.

Eligibility Criteria

Must be a graduating high school senior from an accredited private or public school
Must be the child, grandchild, or legal stepchild of an active Haywood EMC member living in the cooperative’s service territory
Community involvement and extra-curricular activities
Minimum GPA of 3.0 or greater is required; additional academic achievement awards preferred
Must provide a 300 to 500-word essay on Haywood EMC’s cooperative model and its relationship with the local community. The use of artificial intelligence will automatically disqualify the application.
Must provide acceptance letter(s) from the university
Must be accepted into an accredited university and be enrolled in an Electrical Engineering or business-affiliated major, such as Business Administration, Accounting, Marketing, Human Resources, Management, etc.
Cannot be the child, grandchild, or legal stepchild of an HEMC employee or board member

Please complete the application online or download the application (PDF).

This year’s application deadline has passed. (April 3, 2026)

Note: if you submit an application online, please call Mitch Bearden at (828) 452-2281 to verify it was received. If you download and fill out the PDF application, please email

Application Form

Comments

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

High School:(Required)

Student Information

Name

First Last

Permanent Address(Required)

Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

Best Contact Phone Number(Required)

Student's Email Address(Required)

Membership Information(Required)

Family Information

Father's Name(Required)

Father's Address(Required)

Same as previous

Father's Education Level(Required)

Father's Occupation(Required)

Father's Employer(Required)

Mother's Name(Required)

Mother's Address(Required)

Same as previous

Mother's Education Level(Required)

Mother's Occupation(Required)

Mother's Employer(Required)

How many brothers/sisters do you have at home, by age?(Required)

School Activities

Please list extracurricular activities in which you have participated during the past 4 years. (Include clubs, school sports, student government, fine arts, other honors/awards, etc.)

Summary of Activities (list them all in the space below):

Community & Personal Activities

Please list community, religious and personal activities in which you have participated during the past 4 years. (Include volunteer work, youth programs, athletic programs, music, dance, scouting, 4-H, and hobbies to which you have devoted time).

Summary of Activities (list them all in the space below):

Work Experience

Please list any work experience (including self-employment) you have had during the past 4 years. (Include employment during the school year and summer months). Please list your most recent work experience first.

Summary of Activities (list them all in the space below):

College Information

Please list college you plan to attend and total annual cost.

College, Cost, Accepted, Pending Notifications(Required)

If you have more than 1 college, please list all options.

Scholarships or Loan Assistance(Required)

Please list any scholarships or loan assistance you have received and amount.

If you don't receive financial assistance or scholarships where will you attend college?(Required)

What is your intended major in college?(Required)

Essay Question

In the space below please type a 300 to 500 word essay on what Haywood EMC's cooperative model and its relationship with the local community

Essay(Required)

Thank you for application!

Signature of Applicant's (Full Name)(Required)

Please upload a current photo of the applicant(Required)

Accepted file types: gif, jpg, png, svg, Max. file size: 10 MB.

Please attach high school transcript(Required)

You may also have your guidance counselor mail these in to: Haywood EMC, attention: Mitch Bearden, 376 Grindstone Road, Waynesville, NC 28785

Accepted file types: txt, pdf, doc, docx, ppt, pptx, odp, xls, xlsx, ods, Max. file size: 10 MB.