High school students preparing for college and adults wanting to return or start can apply for $1,000 scholarships from Community Action of Southern Kentucky.

Barbara Page, a community services coordinator at the nonprofit’s Warren County office, said the scholarships are a way to elevate local economies and workers.

“Students will use the money and earn their degree and then come back to the county where they live,” she said.

Page said the scholarships are open to financially eligible adults in the 10-county Barren River region. The deadline for applying at a local office is March 31.

Only income earners at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines are eligible to apply. Page said applicants should bring documents verifying their household income for the month of February.

The scholarships are open to traditional high school students starting college and nontraditional adult learners interested in going to school. Applicants must already be accepted for an eligible school for the fall.

Page said the scholarships can be used to cover academic fees, textbooks and similar costs at four-year universities, community and technical colleges and other higher education institutions.

Awards are distributed through a committee process that considers each student’s academic ability and financial need.

Over 22 years, Page said many aspiring college students have used the scholarships to improve their lives. One scholarship recipient, for example, is now working as a lawyer in Washington, D.C. “She used it as a steppingstone,” Page said.

Application packets can be picked up at Community Action offices in the region, including offices at 171 Center St. and 921 Beauty Ave. in Bowling Green.

For more information, call the Warren County office at 270-782-4437.

– Follow education reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @BGDN_edbeat or visit bgdailynews.com.