Attention FPHS seniors: It’s time to apply for Scholarship Association of Fort Plain awards

The Scholarship Association of Fort Plain has been awarding scholarships to deserving students since 1947, and Fort Plain High School seniors are encouraged to apply. All a student has to do to apply is complete paperwork available from the high school counseling office.

The goal of The Scholarship Association of Fort Plain is to assist qualifying seniors in obtaining a higher education. The Association awards scholarships to seniors who have achieved an average of 75 or above through their high school years, and grants special awards to students who have maintained an average of 85 or better.

The Association believes it is very important that every deserving student receives a scholarship, that all who qualify receive an award. All a senior has to do is fill out the application, which is kept strictly confidential.

Information and scholarship applications are available in the Fort Plain High School Counseling office and are due back there by May 25, prior to the Memorial Day recess. Questions may be directed to Colleen Cushing at colleen.cushing@fortplain.org or (518) 993-4000.

“Fort Plain Central School recognizes the ongoing generosity of The Scholarship Association of Fort Plain and thanks them for their commitment to our students,” said Fort Plain Interim Superintendent Jeffery Ziegler.

Honoring achievement since 1947 – A brief history of the scholarships

The Scholarship Association of Fort Plain held its first formal organizational meeting on May 15, 1947, and awarded its first scholarship, $1,000, the following month to Fort Plain graduating senior Helen Brown. The Association’s endowment grew significantly over the years, thanks to the generosity of many donors, both individuals and organizations.

By 1994, the Association had awarded $58,000 in scholarships. In November of that year, the scholarship fund got a big boost when the Association received a bequest from Clifford Abel for $1 million, enabling the presentation of many more annual awards. Mr. Abel was a 1944 Fort Plain High School graduate who served in the Navy, then worked his way through college and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1950. His sister, Janet, also graduated from Fort Plain, in 1950.

A sizable life insurance policy was also left to The Scholarship Association of Fort Plain, and several estates have contributed to the Association’s successful program over the years, including the estates of the Wiles family, Frank and Mary Smith, George Weeks, Lore and Leo Koppel, Thelma Temple, and Dr. Charles Slater, who requested awards be given to students enrolled in an accredited American medical college.

Numerous memorials, merchants, families and individuals have donated to The Scholarship Association of Fort Plain, and their generosity continues. Many of the donors to the scholarship fund are past recipients. Students are welcome to become members of the Association.