Scholarships
Your Co-op has several scholarship options available for students who are members, or whose parents/ guardians are served by Flathead Electric at their primary residence.
Scholarships are available for:
Seniors graduating from accredited high schools in the Co-op’s service area
Graduating homeschool students
Current undergraduate college students
Flathead Electric Co-op Scholarships
Flathead Electric Cooperative’s scholarships are funded by unclaimed capital credits. Despite the Co-op’s best efforts to return capital credits to members, many go unclaimed (people move and don’t provide a forwarding address, for example). As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, the state allows Flathead Electric to use capital credits that go unclaimed for five or more years for educational purposes in our service area, rather than returning them to the Montana general fund.
FEC
Scholarship
Flathead Electric Co-op offers over $117,000 in scholarships each year. Individual scholarships range from $1,500 to $6,000. The applicant or their parent/legal guardian must be a member of Flathead Electric Cooperative, served by the Co-op at their primary residence. Scholarship money must be used to attend an accredited post-secondary education institution in Montana.
Applications for the 2024 Flathead Electric Co-op Scholarships open on January 1st, 2024.
Please check back later!
Basin & MECA Scholarships
The Basin Electric Power Cooperative (BECP) and Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association (MECA) scholarship opportunities are provided by organizations associated with your Co-op. We’ve combined these applications for your convenience so that one application can be used to apply for both scholarships simultaneously.
BEPC
Scholarship
Basin Electric Power Cooperative (BEPC) Scholarship Program will award one $1,000 scholarship each year to a Flathead Electric Cooperative member’s child graduating from high school or currently attending an undergraduate college.
MECA
Scholarship
The Montana Electric Cooperatives Association (MECA) Scholarship Program will award one $500 scholarship to a regional electric cooperative member’s child graduating from high school or currently attending an undergraduate college.
Applications for the 2024 MECA/Basin Scholarship open on October 16th, 2023.
Please check back later!
Washington D.C. Youth Tour
2 or 3 students are selected for this all-expenses-paid, “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” which is funded by the Co-op’s unclaimed capital credits.
This opportunity is part of the larger National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Youth Tour, which sends about 1,500 high-school students to Washington, D.C., each summer. There, students learn about the history of our country and the role electric cooperatives played in that history. Students also meet with their congressional delegation.
Montana sends over 25 students each year to participate in the Youth Tour at no cost to those students.
The applicant’s parent/legal guardian must be a member of Flathead Electric Cooperative, served by the Co-op at their primary residence.

Applicants must be high school sophomores or juniors from schools within the Co-op’s service area, including, but not limited to:
- Bigfork High School
- Columbia Falls High School
- Flathead High School
- Glacier High School
- Libby High School
- Stillwater Christian School
- Whitefish High School
- Homeschool

2024 Youth Tour
Here is what you need to know:
Applications to join the 2024 Youth Tour are open from October 1st until October 31st, 2023
Youth Tour Orientation will begin on June 14th, 2024 in Great Falls
Winners will leave for Washington D.C. on June 15th and return to Great Falls on June 21st, 2024
Applications for the 2024 Youth Tour open on October 1st, 2023.
Please check back soon!
Youth Tour Perspectives

Adam’s Experience
Adam Schrader, from Columbia Falls High School, reflects on his experience during the 2021 Washington D.C Youth Tour.

Cassidy’s Experience
Cassidy Norick reflects on her experience during the 2018 Washington D.C Youth Tour.

Brooklyn’s Experience
Brooklyn Lamars reflects on her experience during the 2018 Washington D.C Youth Tour.

Liv’s Experience
Liv Wilson reflects on her experience during the 2018 Washington D.C Youth Tour.