Scholarships and Grants

As part of our community involvement and outreach efforts, REC is pleased to offer different scholarships for higher education programs to students throughout our service area and an all-inclusive paid trip to Washington D.C. This includes home-schooled students and those open-enrolled in school districts outside our service territory.

To be eligible for scholarship funds, the student's parent or guardian must be a member of Redwood Electric Cooperative.

Notice

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered for review.

What We Offer

Operation RoundUp® is a volunteer community support program that Redwood Electric Cooperative offers. It is designed to provide financial assistance to worthwhile projects and charities in our service area and local communities. In essence, it's people helping people. Redwood Electric feels it should do more than sell electricity. Our goal is to enhance the equality of life for our members. In a sense, Operation RoundUp® is an extension of that goal. The “neighbor helping neighbor” concept that built our cooperative over 80 years ago is why we offer this program.

Each month, Redwood Electric will “round up” the electric bills of participating members to the next dollar. For example, if your bill is $74.65, we would round it up to $75.00. The additional 35 cents would go to the Operation RoundUp® fund. Members who participate in the program spend an average of $6.00 yearly.

In addition to providing financial assistance to non-profit organizations and charitable programs, Operation RoundUp® also provides educational scholarships to students graduating from high schools in our service area. Scholarships are awarded each spring, and applications for non-profit or charitable grants are considered yearly in the fall.

Your contribution is tax-deductible, and the funds are administered by the Trust Board, which consists of volunteers from throughout the area that Redwood Electric Cooperative serves.

Examples of projects Operation RoundUp® has given money to include: firefighting equipment for volunteer fire departments; lifesaving equipment for ambulance or rescue squads; hospice programs; education scholarships; youth programs; Toys for Tots and similar programs; community recycling programs; environmental research programs; food shelves; crisis centers; clothing, shelter, and medical services following accidents or natural disasters.

All Redwood Electric Cooperative members are auto-enrolled to participate in Operation RoundUp®, however, the program is voluntary. If you DO NOT wish to participate, you must contact our office or Opt Out through SmartHub.

We are NOW accepting Operation Round-up STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP applications. All applications must be in our office or postmarked by 3:30 pm on March 13th. Contact our office with any questions. Thank you!

Open Application

Redwood Electric is honored to partner with Basin Electric to award a $1000 scholarship to a dependent of a Redwood Electric Cooperative member. This scholarship is available to high school seniors and college students enrolled full-time in an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational/technical school, pursuing an undergraduate or master's degree. The Deadline to submit applications is February 20, 2026, and they must be received in our office by 3:30 pm or postmarked by the deadline.

Open Application

Each year, rural electric cooperatives across the nation sponsor roughly 1,900 students on the Rural Electric Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. The Youth Tour program continues to foster the grassroots spirit of the rural electric cooperatives by demonstrating to high school juniors and seniors how our government works and what the electric cooperative business model is all about. In a time when energy is at the forefront of our nation’s issues, this is a great opportunity to have a hand in the creation of electric cooperative advocates!

Spend six days in our nation's capital, visiting famous museums and historical sites and chatting with politicians. The best part? Redwood Electric Cooperative will pay all of the expenses! Every year, 40 bright, enthusiastic, and passionate high school juniors and seniors are chosen to represent Minnesota on the Rural Electric Youth Tour. But we're not the only ones there. Youth Tour is a national sensation! Over 1,900 student delegates from all over the country rock D.C. on this tour! They visit with their congressional representatives, tour some of the most famous museums in the world, and make memories and friends that will last a lifetime. Make 2026 the year you experience the monuments that are dedicated to our country's leaders. Let your voice be heard and get your questions answered.

1st Place-All-expense paid trip to Washington D.C., June 15-20, 2026 (no substitute if unable to make the trip)

2nd Place-$200.00 (will serve as the first alternate)

3rd Place-$100.00 (will serve as second alternate)

Open Application

Operation Round-Up

Basin Electric $1,000 Student Scholarship

Youth Tour Scholarship Application