NLI: Northern Lights, Inc. > Community Programs > NLI and MECA Scholarships

NLI and MECA Scholarships

2026 Northern Lights Scholarship Program

March 27th Deadline

Continuing Northern Lights’ history of supporting education, the co-op is now accepting applications for the 2026 scholarship program. The Northern Lights, Inc. (NLI) Board of Directors has authorized eight $1,500 educational scholarships and one $3,000 lineworker school scholarship.

NLI Educational and Lineworker School Scholarship Guidelines

The 8 educational scholarships are for graduating high school seniors entering college or vocational school, or a current undergraduate student. Graduate students are not eligible. The applicant or their parent/guardian must be an NLI member to qualify. NLI employees, directors and their families are not eligible to apply.

The lineworker school scholarship is for someone enrolled or planning on enrolling in lineworker school. The applicant or their parent/guardian must be a member or employee of NLI, or the applicant must live in Bonner, Boundary, Sanders or Lincoln county.

Applicants must submit a completed application, available at NLI. Applicants must also submit a financial statement form, a short essay on what it means to be a member of a cooperative, a brief personal statement about future goals, and three letters of recommendation.

Applications and accompanying documents must be submitted to NLI in person, by email or by mail, postmarked no later than Friday, March 27, 2026.

The NLI scholarship committee will select the 9 scholarship winners. Winners will be notified by April 17, 2026. A scholarship certificate announcing the award will be provided to each of the winners in time for recognition during graduation ceremonies, if applicable.

Scholarship funds will not be disbursed until proof of enrollment at a college, university, vocational, or lineworker school is provided to Northern Lights. Once proof of enrollment is received, the funds will be sent directly to the school in the student’s name. Educational scholarships must be claimed by December 31, 2026, and lineworker school scholarship by May 1, 2027, or the money will be forfeited.