WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Twenty-first Century Scholars program is accepting applications from sixth, seventh and eighth graders in Tippecanoe and surrounding counties.

The program makes higher education accessible for low- to moderate-income families in Indiana. New enrollees take a pledge to maintain good grades and citizenship. If they fulfill their promise, they receive four years of college tuition to a public Indiana college or the equivalent amount to attend a private college in Indiana.

Applications are available through the West Central Regional Twenty-first Century Scholars site at Purdue University and online at http://www.in.gov/ssaci/. The application deadline is June 30.

Jason Carter, Twenty-first Century Scholars regional coordinator, said approximately 200 high school seniors will pay for college in the fall through the program.

“The Twenty-first Century Scholars program started 17 years ago and has since distributed more than $85 million in scholarships,” Carter said. “More than 5,000 scholars statewide have received college degrees. The level of funding and number of participants make the Twenty-first Century Scholars program one of the country’s premiere early intervention initiatives.”

The West Central Regional Twenty-first Century Scholars support site is part of the Student Access, Transition and Success programs (SATS) department at Purdue University. The site serves Scholars in Benton, Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Warren, and White counties.

For more information about the program, related events or to request an application, contact the Twenty-first Century Scholars staff at (765) 496-0046, tfcs@purdue.edu.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Inc. -– Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) executives and senior managers honored 2008-09 PEFCU Citizenship Scholarship in Honor of Ronda E. Feathers recipient Amalia R. Barber, and 2008-09 PEFCU Citizenship Award recipients Travis J. Burghardt and Katie N. Reid, during a luncheon on Thursday, October 30. Barber, Burghardt and Reid are students in the Undergraduate Studies Program (USP) at Purdue University.

with PEFCU President and CEO Bob Falk following the luncheon in honor of their academic achievements and community involvement.”]The Citizenship Scholarship in Honor of Ronda E. Feathers is presented to sophomores and the Citizenship Award is presented to freshmen. These annual $1,000 scholarship awards recognize the outstanding academic achievement and strong community involvement of USP students. Special emphasis is placed on good citizenship and how active the student has been in his/her school and hometown community. Applicants submit an essay of 250 or fewer words about good citizenship.

Barber attended high school in Clinton, Ill., where she served on the leadership team for her school’s community service club as well as National Honor Society vice president. She also served on the Membership Board of her local United Way Foundation and was actively involved in her high school band. Barber currently plays baritone for the “All American” Purdue Marching Band and participates in the University Honors Program.

In his hometown of Monticello, Ind., Burghardt volunteered at the White County food pantry and the Monticello Public Library. He also participated in the 2007 Relay for Life, played varsity tennis, and was co-president of the Twin Lakes High School mock trial team. Burghardt graduated 17th in class.

Reid’s success as a student in the Academy of Finance at Carroll High School in Fort Wayne, Ind., led her to an internship with the Fort Wayne YMCA at Camp Potawotami. She served her community by organizing a local food drive and by volunteering at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo and with the Kiwanis at the Johnny Apple Seed Festival.

Founded on the Purdue University campus in 1969, Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) boasts assets exceeding $500 million and serves more than 56,000 members nationwide.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Two students from West Lafayette have been selected as the first recipients of the Wade Steffey Memorial Scholarship.

Aubrey Alana Beck and Tiffany Ann Bucher, who both attended William Henry Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Ind., will enter Purdue in the fall. The scholarship provides $2,500 for each of the students for the 2008-09 academic year.

The Wade Steffey Memorial Fund was created by Purdue to honor Wade Steffey, who died Jan. 13, 2007, when he entered an electrical vault in the basement of Owen Hall, a Purdue student residence building. His body was found March 19 after extensive searches by police agencies, university staff and hundreds of volunteers. Steffey, from Bloomington, Ind., was a National Merit Scholar and Eagle Scout who was majoring in aviation technology at Purdue.

“I really hope that Wade is remembered as a good friend to all kinds of people and that he built bridges between groups and brought people together,” said Dale Steffey, Wade’s father. “He was smart, kind and honest. We hope that this scholarship honors Wade and that it helps the university remember the extraordinary coming together that occurred when Wade was missing.”

While at Purdue, Beck plans to major in management and Bucher plans to major in science.

Evans and Bucher were selected based on their academic excellence, school and community involvement, and financial need, Steffey said.

Purdue created the Wade Steffey Memorial Scholarship endowment as part of a settlement with the Steffey family. Students eligible for the scholarship must be from Indiana and plan to attend Purdue.