CUs grow and do good in the community

Cornerstone League recognizes member credit unions’ news about their growth, expansion, and community endeavors to exemplify the “people helping people” philosophy. And it’s that time of year when credit unions honor graduates in their communities with valuable scholarships to help them succeed in their chosen fields.

Arsenal CU awards $7,500 in scholarships to high school seniors

At its annual membership meeting on April 27, St. Louis-based Arsenal Credit Union awarded $7,500 to five graduating high school seniors. Each student received a $1,500 scholarship to help fund their higher education.

Winners came from a mix of public and private schools across the St. Louis metro area representing the credit union’s field of membership.

All scholarship winners demonstrated exemplary leadership skills, commitment to the community, and dedication to classwork in their applications. Winners will go on to study a variety of disciplines in college, including mass communications, medicine, business, and psychology. 

Since 1997, Arsenal Credit Union has awarded $109,150 to 107 students through its scholarship program. Winners can use their award to help fund their higher education at a four-year university, technical school, trade school, or community college. The credit union will start accepting applications for its 2024 scholarship awards in October of this year.

Arsenal has earned 17 Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Awards for its community involvement efforts and eight Alphonse Desjardins Awards for its youth financial education efforts, as well as one for its adult education program.

Vantage CU celebrates 2023 ‘Quest for Education’ scholarship recipients

St. Louis-based Vantage Credit Union congratulated 10 area high school seniors on being awarded “Quest for Education” scholarships. During an awards reception on May 2 at Main Event in Chesterfield, Vantage executive team members celebrated the students’ achievements and presented the honorees with $1,000 scholarships.

Vantage has over $1 billion in assets and 72,000 member-owners. Founded by teachers, the credit union is committed to the educational community and recognizes the importance of higher education for a successful future. Over the years, Vantage has supported the pursuit of higher education by presenting more than $720,000 in QFE scholarship funds to graduating high school seniors.

“With the cost of higher education showing no signs of going down, access to resources that help ease the burden is paramount in assisting students in pursuit of their goals,” said Eric Acree, president/CEO of Vantage Credit Union. “Through our Quest for Education scholarship program, we’ve awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in college scholarships, helping both parents and students make the transition to college easier.”

Scholarships are judged by volunteers made up of local educators, Vantage Board and Supervisory Committee members, and select employees. The QFE Selection Committee judges reviewed applications that consisted of a student essay and a combination of appropriate awards, extracurriculars, recommendation letters, community service, and volunteer activities. Vantage membership is required. 

Education First FCU awards 10 scholarships to high school students

Education First Federal Credit Union, Beaumont, Texas, has announced its scholarship recipients for the Class of 2023. The credit union awarded 10 scholarships of $2,500 each to individual high school students.

As a credit union founded by teachers over 70 years ago, supporting education remains a pillar of its existence. Since the program began in 1999, Education First has proudly awarded $650,000 in college scholarships to high school seniors in Southeast Texas.

In addition to meeting scholarship academic criteria, applicants had to complete a series of online financial education courses offered by the credit union to help prepare them for their financial futures. Courses included topics like saving, smart spending, credit management, and more.

A statement from the credit union, which serves more than 34,000 members, reads, “We are so incredibly honored to help these students in their pursuit of higher education, and [we] value the fact that we can expose them to financial education that will help them navigate their way through the adult world.”

See photos of students.

A+FCU supports students in pursuit of higher education

The board of directors for A+ Federal Credit Union, based in Austin, awarded 60 Central Texas high school and college students with scholarships totaling $120,000 for the 2023–2024 school year.

The scholarships have been an A+FCU tradition since 1984, and this is the second consecutive year $120,000 has been awarded. Each student receives $2,000 to help with educational expenses. 

"This year's scholarship recipients have proven to be hardworking, committed, and passionate," said Terry Lord, A+FCU board member and chair of the Scholarship Committee. "It’s an honor to invest in their future, and we wish them continued personal and academic success." 

The 60 recipients were selected for their academic achievements and community involvement and represent seven universities and 32 high schools.

"This scholarship will help to alleviate some of the financial stress along my journey pursuing an engineering degree," Chloe Cano, who’s attending Trinity University as an engineering major in Fall 2023, said. "I will now be able to focus solely on my academic work in college. Thank you for this opportunity." 

A+FCU has more than 195,000 member-owners, $2.7 billion in assets, more than 550 employees, and 22 branches.