We offer an easy way for our members to support our local organizations that give back to our communities through our Operation Round Up program.
Each month you can round up your bill to the nearest dollar amount and give that extra change to Operation Round Up. Each participating member gives between $.11 to $11.88 annually. Organizations within our service territory can apply for grants through our MEA Charitable Foundation (led by a volunteer Board) that is supported by the funds provided by our members through Operation Round Up.
Every extra penny you provide stays local.
For more information on Operation Round Up, click here.
Looking for a smaller donation or sponsorship request (funds ranging from $100-$500)? We support many non-profit organizations, sports teams, events, and fundraisers throughout our service territory (Eagle River, Chugiak and the entire Mat-Su Borough). Please submit your donation/sponsorship request including any corresponding materials about your organization and event to pr@mea.coop Community requests are reviewed once a month, generally at the end of each month.
The MEA Scholarship is designed to encourage individuals who are first-time college students, returning students, students participating in a vocational program, or students pursuing professional development that leads to a degree or certification. In 2024, eight scholarships were awarded totaling $25,000. Applicants must be active members of MEA or a dependent of an active MEA member. MEA Scholarship Committee members or their dependents may not apply. Typically, the scholarship application becomes available at the end of January each year and applications are due mid-March. Scholarship winners were announced at the Annual Meeting in April.
$2,000 Scholarship Recipients
Matthew Fleischhacker – Chugiak High School
Sahara Brentor – Trapper Creek Student
Mary Clark – Palmer High School
Kelsey Reifel - Eagle River High School
Makenzie Edgar – Palmer High School
$2,500 Scholarship – Tyler Swartz of Mat-Su Career Tech
$5,000 Scholarship – Graycen Miller of Mat-Su Career Tech
$7,500 Scholarship – Lily Sessom of Palmer attending medical school through UW
Information about MEA Scholarships
In 1990, MEA’s Board of Directors created the Scholarship Foundation. The annual earnings from this fund provided scholarships to MEA members and their dependents, graduating high school students and college students for over thirty years, until the fund ran out. Since 2022, the MEA Board of Directors has continued to fund the scholarship program through the operating budget. A scholarship committee made up of MEA members from various professions and communities review and select scholarship recipients based on their applications. Scholarship applicants are asked to complete a financial plan and a short essay regarding the importance of member-owned cooperatives to both the student and the community.
The applicants and/or their parents/legal guardians must be active MEA members.
MEA is a proponent of vocational education and strive to award at least one scholarship to a student seeking a vocational certificate or degree.
For additional information on the scholarship program, or to express interest in service on the Scholarship Committee, please email pr@mea.coop.
Alaska Power Association Hank Nikkels Scholarship for Engineers
Alaska Power Association (APA) offers scholarship opportunities and textbook stipends for Alaska residents attending college in Alaska who are studying engineering. APA is the statewide trade association for the electric utilities that supply power to more than a half-million Alaskans in communities from Barrow to Adak, through the Interior and Southcentral, and down the Inside Passage. Please visit https://alaskapower.org/scholarships/ for more information.
Alaska Power Association and IBEW Local 1547 Scholarships for Electric Industry Students
APA and IBEW Local 1547 are offering up to $4,000 in scholarships for Alaska residents who intend to work in the electric industry and who are enrolled in an accredited Alaska vocational school such as the Alaska Joint Electrical Apprenticeship and Training Trust, the Alaska Institute of Technology, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Community & Technical College, and the University of Alaska Anchorage Technical Vocational Educational Program. https://alaskapower.org/scholarships/