VALDOSTA, Georgia–Southeastern Credit Union awarded local elementary school W.G. Nunn with a $1,000 grant as part of their Community Partners in Education (CPIE) partnership with the school. The grant funds were used to create a standardized testing incentive program to motivate students to do their best on the new Georgia Milestones test.
Meanwhile, Southeastern Credit Union also completed its fifth high school student advisory board in mid-May. Each student who fulfilled their board term received a $500 scholarship to the college of their choosing, totaling $7,000 in student scholarships given by Southeastern for the 2014- 2015 school year.
The 14 students on this year's board represented eight schools from across Southeastern's 10 county field of membership. During their term, students met once a month to hear from personal finance experts and discuss financial decisions that will impact their future. New to this year's curriculum was a tour of the Southeastern Federal Credit Union Financial Trading Center at Valdosta State University, where students heard from VSU Investment Club members and professors on investing in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
Since the credit union's high school student advisory board began in 2010, more than $33,000 in scholarships have been given to local high school seniors. Scholarships are applied to tuition, books, and fees at the college of the student's choosing.
Students are selected for the board based on several criteria, including an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 and formal application with essay questions. Board members for the upcoming 2015-2016 student advisory board have already been selected.