A new scholarship at the University of Wyoming aims to help displaced coal industry employees around the Cowboy State.
In recent months, the coal industry has suffered significant layoffs and staff reductions. That has led to uncertainty for many Wyoming families. One option for these displaced worked is to pursue continuing education at the University of Wyoming or one of the state’s seven community colleges.
The new scholarship fund was created by the University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, CEAS.
In the early stages, the CEAS will provide 10 scholarships at $1500 each for one academic year. Those who receive the scholarship can reapply for the scholarship the next year. The scholarships will be implemented as soon as possible, according to a UW release.
The scholarship will be available to former coal industry employees to pursue an engineering degree at UW, or an engineering-related degree at one of Wyoming’s community colleges. It also will be available to children of the displaced workers, but that award is restricted to those who plan to attend UW and seek an engineering degree only.
The scholarship helps serve UW’s Tier-1 Engineering Initiative, which was instituted in 2014.
“Part of the Tier-1 mission is to help serve our constituents in the state and provide mechanisms for economic diversification,” CEAS Dean Michael Pishko says. “Retraining displaced workers is a great way to do that — give them other skills to help businesses in Wyoming. This is a way to give back to the workers who have given so much to the state.”
For more information or to apply, contact CEAS Student Advising Coordinator Laurie Bonini at (307) 766-4254 or [email protected].
People interested in contributing to the fund should contact Craig Russow at the UW Foundation at (307) 766-1803 or [email protected].