OTEC Scholarships Available Through March 1, 2026 for Union County Students

Union County students and residents have until March 1, 2026 to apply for a slate of scholarships from Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative, a program that could ease the cost of college or trade education for local families and adult learners.

OTEC announced the scholarship opportunities on January 19, 2026. Available awards include a 2026 Returning College Student or Adult Scholarship of $5,000 for undergraduate study, a 2026 Graduating High School Student Scholarship of $5,000 open to graduates including homeschooled students, and the 2026 OTEC-EOU Rural Scholarship Program, which will fund full four-year tuition for up to four students who plan to attend Eastern Oregon University. Applicants for the OTEC-EOU Rural Scholarship must have completed the OTEC Internship Program to be eligible.

Eligibility across the scholarships requires applicants to be an OTEC member-owner, the spouse or legal dependent of a member-owner, or the lessee of an active member-owner. Specific application criteria vary by scholarship; prospective applicants should review requirements carefully before applying. To submit an application or find complete details, visit the OTEC scholarships page.

For Union County communities such as La Grande, Union and surrounding towns, the scholarships offer more than individual financial relief. They represent a targeted investment in local workforce development and educational access at a time when rural communities face persistent barriers to post-high-school training. The inclusion of an adult and returning-student award recognizes nontraditional pathways and the needs of residents who delayed or paused higher education for economic or caregiving reasons.

The OTEC-EOU Rural Scholarship’s link to the OTEC Internship Program also highlights a pipeline approach that connects hands-on experience with long-term education support. If successfully filled by students from Union County, those scholarships can help retain talent locally and strengthen the labor pool for trades, health care support roles and other sectors where rural employers often report shortages.

There are equity considerations to watch. The member-owner requirement ties eligibility to cooperative membership and may exclude residents who are not connected to an OTEC account. Outreach to renters, low-income households and traditionally underserved groups will matter if the program is to broaden access across the county.

What this means for readers: check your eligibility now, gather transcripts and internship documentation if needed, and file an application before the March 1, 2026 deadline. Securing one of these awards can reduce student debt burdens and support local pathways to higher education and skilled employment in Union County.