WREC Educational Foundation Scholarship Opening Soon
Offered by Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative
About This Scholarship
Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC) is one of the largest electric cooperatives in the United States, serving more than 200,000 accounts across five fast-growing counties north of Tampa, Florida. Its Educational Foundation runs one of the most generous cooperative scholarship programs anywhere: 130 high school seniors are selected each year, and each recipient can receive $1,500 per semester for undergraduate study — up to $12,000 over a full four-year degree.
The renewable structure is the headline. Most co-op scholarships are one-time checks of $1,000 or so; WREC's foundation keeps paying semester after semester as long as the student stays enrolled full time, which makes it function more like a small tuition guarantee than a door prize. Awards must be used at accredited in-state Florida colleges, universities, or technical schools with a full-time load of at least 12 credit hours.
Eligibility centers on the cooperative's membership: applicants must be dependents of WREC members, must have lived in the service area for at least a year, and need only a 2.0 GPA — a strikingly low academic bar that reflects the foundation's breadth-over-prestige approach to helping local families pay for college.
Eligibility
- Dependent of a Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative member
- High school senior with a minimum 2.0 GPA
- Bona fide resident of the WREC service area for at least one year prior to December 31
- Must attend an accredited Florida (in-state) college, university, or technical school full time (minimum 12 credit hours per semester)
How To Apply
- Pick up an application at any WREC office or your guidance counselor's office, or download it from wrec.net beginning October 1, 2026. Mail the completed application to the WREC Educational Foundation, P.O. Box 278, Dade City, FL 33526, postmarked by March 1.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can I receive in total?
Recipients get $1,500 per semester for undergraduate studies, up to a maximum of $12,000 — one of the largest totals offered by any electric cooperative scholarship.
What GPA do I need?
Only a 2.0 minimum GPA is required, making this far more accessible than typical merit scholarships. The foundation awards 130 scholarships each year.
Can I use it out of state?
No. The scholarship must be used at an accredited in-state Florida college, university, or technical school while enrolled full time.