Wake Electric Offers $22,000 in Scholarships; Seniors Must Apply by March 2

Wake Electric has opened its application period for the 2026 Wake Electric College Scholarships, offering a total of $22,000 in awards for local high school seniors planning further education. Applications must be received by March 2, 2026; late submissions will be disqualified even if postmarked on that date.

"Altogether, Wake Electric awards $22,000 in college scholarships to local students," the cooperative's scholarship materials state. The program includes the $2,000 Fred M. Alford Memorial Scholarship and multiple $1,250 Wake Electric scholarships. The scholarship page identifies the Wake Electric Scholarship as having been "formerly the Touchstone Energy Scholarship," but it does not specify how many $1,250 awards will be available in 2026.

Eligibility is described broadly: awards are for high school seniors "who are planning to continue their education at a college, university, community college or technical school." The scholarship listings on Wake Electric's site show "Requirements include:" for each award, but the captured content does not list those specific requirements. Applicants and counselors should confirm required materials and any residency or academic criteria before submitting.

Applications must be mailed to Wake Electric College Scholarships, 228 Park Avenue, Youngsville, NC 27596. The cooperative's website includes a strict warning: "Please note: Any applications received after the March 2 deadline (even if they are postmarked March 2) will be disqualified." Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified in mid-April; "Applicants will be notified of their status by mid-April, 2026," the cooperative states.

Funding for the scholarships comes from Wake Electric members and employees through the cooperative's WE Care fundraising program, identified in materials both as the WE Care program and the WE Care Foundation. The cooperative emphasizes that scholarships are supported by voluntary member and employee donations.

For questions and to confirm application details, Wake Electric lists communications@wemc.com and (919) 863.6440 as scholarship contacts. The cooperative's general office numbers are 919.863.6300 and toll free 800.474.6300, with a local office at 100 S. Franklin Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587. To report outages the cooperative lists 855.280.1147.

Last year’s Fred M. Alford Memorial Scholarship went to Lauren Thornton of Heritage High School, a reminder that this program has a recent track record of supporting Wake County graduates. With applications due March 2 and notification slated for mid-April, students and school counselors should assemble transcripts and supporting materials now and confirm submission methods and requirements with Wake Electric to avoid disqualification. The cooperative’s scholarships represent a targeted source of local funding for postsecondary education and a direct way for members to invest in the next cohort of Wake County students.