APSO scholarship registration now open

     Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office has announced that applications are now open for the Dawn Shivers Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Louisiana Sheriff’s Scholarship Program.

     The Dawn Shivers Memorial Scholarship was founded in 2014 after retired APSO employee, Dawn Shivers passed away in May 2013 from cancer.

     “The purpose of the Dawn Shivers Memorial Scholarship fund is to honor her sweet spirit and continue her legacy as a vessel through Christ, and to also encourage others who may be fighting the same cancer battles to keep pushing and stay strong,” Ascension Parish Sheriff Wiley released in a statement.

     Those eligible for the $1,500 Memorial Scholarship are Ascension Parish graduating high school seniors attending higher education in Louisiana. Though there are no specifications for what the money must be used for, APSO spokeswoman, Allison Hudson, said that all the past winners have used the money towards tuition costs.

     Students applying for the scholarship will be required to submit an essay, which will be assessed by a panel of four judges with no affiliation to the Sheriff’s Office. 

     Once the final three candidates are chosen, Wiley will review each essay, taking into consideration each of the students needs and scholarships already attained.

     Applications for the statewide Louisiana Sheriff’s Scholarship Program are due on April 1. There are no restrictions on what the scholarship must be spent on, though they are awarded as gifts to help with costs of tuition and related expenses in higher education.

     Requirements are that applicants must be permanent residents of Louisiana, scholarship be used in higher education within the state and students must be enrolled as full-time undergraduate students.

     “Louisiana Sheriff’s are pleased with the program’s ability to bring scholarships to Louisiana students bound for higher education. To continue to do so, and fund other important projects and initiatives, continued support of the honorary membership program is essential,” Wiley said.

     Funding for both scholarships come from the Louisiana Sheriff's Association and through various donations to the Dawn Shivers Memorial Scholarship Fund.

     Applications are available at area schools or at the Sheriff’s office in Donaldsonville and Gonzales.

     Winners for both scholarships will be announced on April 15.