February 2, 2018
Oglethorpe Power Corp. Donates $2,500 to Help Offset College Costs
Contact: Terri Statham
E-mail: terri.statham@opc.com
TUCKER, GA (2/2/2018) — Oglethorpe Power Corp. recently donated $2,500 to the Hart County Board of Education, continuing the organization’s tradition of supporting communities and education across the state.
OPC’s gift, combined with additional donations from the public and private sectors, will help fund a $10,000 REACH Georgia Scholarship, a needs-based mentoring and scholarship program providing promising students the support to graduate from high school and achieve postsecondary success.
“We’re pleased to partner with the Hart County Board of Education and provide a deserving student with a hand up as he or she pursues a college degree,” says Diane McClearen, director of community and external relations with Oglethorpe Power Corp. “Paying for college has become cost-prohibitive for many families, and it’s a privilege to help whenever we can.”
To be eligible, students must be enrolled in a participating REACH school system and be selected as a REACH Scholar beginning in the 8th grade based on the following criteria: eligible for the Free or Reduced Lunch Program (FRLP), secondary cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher in all core courses, clean discipline record with no more than two minor infractions and zero out-of-school suspensions, strong attendance, and satisfy Georgia residency, U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen requirements. Additional considerations include whether students are the first in their families to attend college and whether students have the ability to make A’s and B’s with further support and assistance.
“We’re extremely proud to be a REACH district and grateful to Oglethorpe Power for their generous support,” says Jaybez Floyd, superintendent, Hart County Charter System. “I cannot think of a better investment than the lives of these students,” he says.
Founded in 2012, REACH currently serves 103 school systems across Georgia and nearly 1,200 scholars. Funding for REACH scholarships is a mixture of public and private contributions. For the first year of a school system’s participation, REACH contributes $10,000 for each 8th-grade scholar. In the second year of participation and each year thereafter, a school system is required to raise private funds for a portion of the $10,000 based on the Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ Job Tax Credit Tier List. In the case of Hart County, it is considered a Tier 3 community and must raise $3,500 per scholarship.
ABOUT OGLETHORPE POWER
Oglethorpe Power is one of the nation’s largest power supply cooperatives with more than $11 billion in assets serving 38 Electric Membership Corporations which, collectively, provide electricity to approximately 4.1 million Georgia residents.
Its diverse energy portfolio includes natural gas, hydroelectric, coal and nuclear generating plants with a combined capacity of approximately 7,800 megawatts.
Oglethorpe Power was established in 1974 and is owned by its 38 Member Systems. Its headquarters are in Tucker, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb.
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