NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association

04/24/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/24/2025 10:06

Foundation for Rural Service Awards $160,500 in Scholarships to Rural Students

Apr 24, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Arlington, Va.
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The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) announced it has awarded $160,500 in scholarships to 50 students from rural communities served by members of NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association. Since the foundation was started in 1994 as the philanthropic arm of NTCA, FRS has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to more than 900 students.

The FRS Scholarship Program awards one-time scholarships to students from across rural America for their first year of college, university or vocational-technical school. In addition, FRS awards one scholarship to a student entering law school. Each student is sponsored by an NTCA member company that shares information about the available scholarships in their communities and contributes a portion of the scholarship award.

In addition to thirty $2,500 FRS General Scholarships, other notable awards included:

  • Two $9,500 Common Ground Scholarships to students pursuing environmental sustainability, social justice, telecommunications or economic development.
  • One $7,000 Everett Kneece Scholarship to the highest achieving applicant.
  • Four $5,000 JSI Scholarships to students with an interest in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM).
  • One $5,000 Herbert and Isabel Bitz Memorial Scholarship to an individual who exhibits a strong dedication to rural America.
  • Four $5,000 Sarah Tyree Good Neighbor Scholarships to students who demonstrate what it means to be a "good neighbor" through humanitarianism, inclusion and kindness to others.
  • One $2,500 Diana Jo Dreyer Memorial Scholarship - Sponsored by INDATEL Services to a woman who intends to major in and study business.
  • Four $1,000 Roger Cox Scholarships to students who reside in the Atlantic Telephone Membership Company service territory in North Carolina, and/or individuals living in rural areas of North Carolina and South Carolina.
  • Two $1,500 TMS Scholarships to customers of Ardmore Telephone and/or West Kentucky and Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative.
  • The $5,000 James L. Bass Legal Scholarship to an individual entering his or her first year of law school. This is the fifth year FRS has awarded the Bass scholarship, named for a long-time leader of NTCA and the broadband industry.


"Every year I am inspired by the amazing students who apply for an FRS scholarship," said FRS Executive Director Pam Becker. "The students who received scholarships this year should be proud of their achievements; we had over 2,000 applications for the 50 scholarships we awarded. Providing opportunities for young people in rural communities has been a core mission of FRS for over 30 years, and it would not be possible without the generous support of NTCA members and other individuals in the rural broadband industry. We are excited to announce our 2025 scholarship recipients today and look forward to seeing what they accomplish in the future."

A full list of scholarship awardees and the NTCA member companies partnering with FRS to make the funding possible is available online.