2026-2027 Thomas H. Moore Illinois Electric Cooperatives (IEC) Memorial Scholarships are open for application!
The Thomas H. Moore (THM) Illinois Electric Cooperatives (IEC) Memorial Scholarship is currently open and accepting applications! Each year, these scholarships are awarded to exceptional senior students who are children of consumer-members of Illinois electric cooperatives across the state. This school year, 19 academic scholarships (up from 16 last year), each valued at $3,000, will be awarded. This program is administered by the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives, based in Springfield, Illinois, with funds being privately raised each year at its annual meeting.
- Twelve (12) scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors enrolling full-time at a 2-year or 4-year college, university, or vocational/technical school whose parent(s)/guardian(s) are an Illinois electric cooperative consumer-member.
- Six (6) additional scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors enrolling full-time at a two-year Illinois community college whose parent(s)/guardian(s) are an Illinois electric cooperative consumer-member, employee or director.
- One (1) scholarship, the Earl W. Struck Memorial Scholarship, will be awarded to a high school senior student who is the child/dependent of an Illinois electric cooperative employee or director.
The deadline to apply is December 31, 2026, and winners will be announced by the end of April 2027. For questions, contact Brooke Guthman at bguthman@eeca.coop.
What is the Thomas H. Moore Illinois Electric Cooperatives (IEC) Memorial Scholarship Fund?
The IEC Memorial Scholarship Fund was established by unanimous vote of the Board of Directors of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (AIEC) in January, 1994. It is designed to provide financial assistance to deserving students in the “electric cooperative family.”
The “driving force” behind creation of the fund was Thomas H. Moore, long-time Executive Vice President and General Manager of the AIEC. Mr. Moore, who retired in January, 1994, strongly believed that a fund and scholarship program should be established to provide a means by which cooperatives and individuals could honor deceased members of the electric cooperative family through memorial gifts. The scholarship program was re-named in honor of Mr. Moore after he passed away in 2008.
The scholarship program prospered under the leadership of Earl W. Struck, who succeeded Mr. Moore and served as President/CEO of the AIEC from 1994 to his retirement in 2006. Mr. Struck passed away in August 2007. The AIEC Board of Directors that month unanimously voted to honor Mr. Struck’s memory by naming the annual scholarship awarded to the son or daughter of an electric cooperative employee or director the “Earl W. Struck Memorial Scholarship.”
The Illinois Community College System Foundation (ICCSF) administers the IEC Memorial Scholarship Fund. Sixteen $2,500 scholarships were awarded in 2025 and sixteen $3,000 academic scholarships will be awarded in 2026.
How much are each scholarship?
For 2025-2026 school year, each scholarship is worth $3,000. The scholarship must be used for educational costs, and the student must enter college within a year from the time the scholarship is issued.
Who is eligible to receive the academic scholarships?
The applicant pool is from all participating cooperatives in the state. The student must be a high school senior who is planning to enroll in a full-time (at least 12 hours) of undergraduate course study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational/technical school in the United States.
Scholarships are open to students who are children or dependents of electric cooperative consumer-members, who reside in Illinois and receiving electric service from the cooperative at the time the scholarship application is submitted. One scholarship is reserved for a high school senior student who is the child/dependent of an electric cooperative employee or director who resides in Illinois.
A scholarship applicant is eligible for consideration in only one of the above two categories and is eligible to apply through only one electric cooperative.
For full eligibility requirements, please see the “Thomas H. Moore IEC Memorial Scholarship Program Official Rules” here.
How are the recipients selected?
The academic scholarships are awarded based on grade point average, college entrance test scores, work and volunteer experience, participation in school and community activities, as well as a biographical & financial statement and two 500-word essay(s).
How can any contributions to the IEC Memorial Scholarship Fund be made?
Checks should be mailed and made payable to:
IEC Memorial Scholarship Fund/ICCSF
ATTN: Nick Reitz
P.O. Box 3787
Springfield, IL 62708
Memorial gifts should list the person in whose memory the gift is given. All contributions by individuals are tax-deductible.
Congratulations to Cody Mevert of Steeleville High School on his award of a Thomas H. Moore IEC Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $3,000 in 2026! Cody is the son of EECA consumer-members Matt & Andrea Mevert of Steeleville. He will be presented with his award at the Steeleville High School Awards Night. Congratulations to Cody and best wishes on your next chapter!