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Harlan County residents, organizations and businesses can help reward the area’s best and brightest students for their academic success by contributing to the Harlan County Community Scholarship Fund.

Honoring students from Harlan Independent Schools and Harlan County Schools, community multiple scholarships in the amount of $1,250 are awarded, along with $750 Harlan County Soil Conservation District Scholarships to high school seniors across the county each year.

“Harlan County will once again be well represented in college classrooms in the Fall, we have some of the brightest seniors in the commonwealth competing for scholarship dollars.” said C.D. Morton, the Harlan Independent Schools superintendent who alternates with Harlan County Schools Supt. Brent Roark in overseeing the Board of Directors from year to year.

Roark added, “There have been many generous contributions in the past and we certainly hope that we will see those again this year. Even if you can spare only $25, $50, or $100, that certainly adds up when you need to raise the $5,000 necessary to sustain our scholarship efforts.”

The scholarships are based on five areas of performance. These include evidence of promise as a leader, evidence of well-defined college and/or career plans, evidence that referees have positive assessment of the applicants, evidence of high school performance and evidence of academic achievement as measured by standardized tests.

Scholarship recipients attending Harlan High School and Harlan County High School will be honored at their annual awards and scholarship events, hosted by their respective schools year each May.

In addition to the Harlan County Community Scholarships and the Harlan County Soil Conservation District Scholarships, numerous organizations utilize the scholarship ceremony to present scholarships to their honorees.

Donations to help continue the scholarship program are being accepted. The tax- deductible contributions may be mailed to: Harlan County Community Scholarship Fund, Inc. ATTN: Ken Jones, Treasurer, 106 South Cumberland Avenue Harlan, KY 40831.

Questions about the fund may be directed to Ken Jones by calling 573-2838, Harlan County Schools Supt. Brent Roark at 573-4330, extension 2018, or Harlan Independent Schools Supt. C.D. Morton at 573-8700, extension 6204.