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2025–2026 Gulf Winds Scholarships

Information and Application

Gulf Winds understands the rising cost of continued education and wants to help our members and their spouse, children, grandchildren and/or sibiling(s) with those expenses by offering scholarships worth $5,000 each, every year. Since 2007, Gulf Winds has provided $272,500 in scholarships to 70 continuing education students. The 2025-2026 Gulf Winds Foundation Scholarship Program opens January 13, 2025.

The Gulf Winds Foundation Scholarship

Three (3) non-renewable $5,000 scholarships are awarded to incoming higher education students. Eligible applicants must be graduating high school seniors or high school graduates.

 

These scholarships are intended for first-year continuing education students only.

Application Process and Guidelines

  • Applicant must be a current senior or a graduate of an accredited high school, or hold a GED, ready to begin as a first-year continuing education student. 
  • Applicants must have a minimum high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 based on a 4.0 grading system, or a “B” average. A copy of transcripts for the past four (4) years is required. 
  • Applicant must plan to be a full-time student. 
  • To qualify for the scholarship, applicants, their parent(s), grandparent(s), spouse, children, or sibling must be Gulf Winds members in good standing on or before September 30, 2024. 
  • Employees of Gulf Winds Credit Union and members of their immediate family are not eligible to participate. 

For incoming higher education students, including those applying for the Rex Burt Trade School Scholarship:

  • Submit at least one (1) and not more than four (4) academic letters of recommendation from authorities at your school such as teachers, principal, or guidance counselor. 
  • Submit at least one (1) and not more than four (4) letters of recommendation from individuals, other than family members, who have known you for at least two (2) years. 
  • Applicant must provide an essay in your words answering:  
    • How do you plan to use your education to address specific challenges in your community? 
    • If selected as a recipient of this scholarship, how will the $5,000 award impact your college/trade school experience?'' 
  • The essay should be 750 words or less. Completed applications are due by midnight March 28, 2025. 
  • Completed applications are due by midnight March 28, 2025.

Review and Selection Process

After the submission deadline, applications are screened for completeness and forwarded to the Gulf Winds Foundation Scholarship Review Committee for evaluation and ranking. Applications are scored using a point system. The committee rates applications based on academic success, grade point average, extracurricular and community experiences that demonstrate leadership, career ambitions and thoughtful, clear writing. Quality references are also considered. 

No applicant will be excluded from participation or be denied the benefits of a Gulf Winds Foundation Scholarship on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, or disability. The recipient must meet all eligibility requirements. Applications will be scored solely on their merits according to the categories of: 

  • Financial need
  • Academic achievement
  • Essay strength
  • Community work/extracurriculars
  • Overall strength of the application

Publicity

Applicants agree to be interviewed and photographed for recognition and promotional purposes if they receive the scholarship.

Rex Burt Trade School Scholarship

 The Rex Burt Trade School Scholarship is a $5,000 award reserved specifically for a student attending a trade school.

Rex Burt served as our dedicated Facilities Manager for over 17 years, leaving a lasting legacy through his unwavering commitment, tireless work ethic, and warm personality. To honor his memory and passion for trade education, the Gulf Winds Foundation established the Rex Burt Trade School Scholarship, providing financial support to students pursuing trade school education, ensuring his contributions to our community will never be forgotten.

Application Process and Guidelines

  • Applicants must be a current senior or a graduate of an accredited high school, or hold a GED, ready to begin as a first-year continuing education student. 
  • Applicants must plan to attend a trade school. 
  • Applicant must have a minimum high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 based on a 4.0 grading system, or a “B” average. A copy of transcripts for the past four (4) years is required. 
  • Applicant must plan to be a full-time student. 
  • To qualify for the scholarship, applicants, their parent(s), grandparent(s), spouse, children, or sibling must be Gulf Winds members in good standing on or before September 30, 2024. 
  • Employees of Gulf Winds Credit Union and members of their immediate family are not eligible to participate. 

For incoming higher education students, including those applying for the Rex Burt Trade School Scholarship:

  • Submit at least one (1) and not more than four (4) academic letters of recommendation from authorities at your school such as teachers, principal, or guidance counselor. 
  • Submit at least one (1) and not more than four (4) letters of recommendation from individuals, other than family members, who have known you for at least two (2) years. 
  • Applicant must provide an essay in your words answering:  
    • How do you plan to use your education to address specific challenges in your community? 
    • If selected as a recipient of this scholarship, how will the $5,000 award impact your college/trade school experience?'' 
  • The essay should be 750 words or less. Completed applications are due by midnight March 28, 2025. 
  • Completed applications are due by midnight March 28, 2025.

Review and Selection Process

After the submission deadline, applications are screened for completeness and forwarded to the Gulf Winds Foundation Scholarship Review Committee for evaluation and ranking. Applications are scored using a point system. The committee rates applications based on academic success, grade point average, extracurricular and community experiences that demonstrate leadership, career ambitions and thoughtful, clear writing. Quality references are also considered. 

No applicant will be excluded from participation or be denied the benefits of a Gulf Winds Foundation Scholarship on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, or disability. The recipient must meet all eligibility requirements. Applications will be scored solely on their merits according to the categories of: 

  • Financial need
  • Academic achievement
  • Essay strength
  • Community work/extracurriculars
  • Overall strength of the application

Publicity

Applicants agree to be interviewed and photographed for recognition and promotional purposes if they receive the scholarship.

The Micah Williams Memorial Scholarship

The Micah Williams Memorial Scholarship is a non-renewable $5,000 scholarship awarded to a student currently enrolled in higher education courses seeking a career in the medical field. If you have taken at least 12 credit hours, you may qualify for the Gulf Winds Foundation’s Micah Williams Memorial Scholarship. 

Micah Jay Williams was born on November 20, 2018, with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a condition requiring three open-heart surgeries. Despite his diagnosis, Micah recovered from two surgeries and lived a joyful eight months, bringing immense happiness to his family with his strength, smile, and laughter, especially delighting in his older brother Chandler. On August 6, 2019, his condition suddenly worsened, and he passed away, leaving a profound impact on his family, friends, and community. To honor his memory, the Micah Williams Memorial Scholarship was created to support students pursuing medical careers, helping others like Micah.

Application Process and Guidelines

The Micah Williams Memorial Scholarship has been endowed by the Rutledge family. The Rutledge’s became connected to Micah and the Williams family through Gulf Winds Credit Union. Chris Rutledge was the President and CEO of Gulf Winds for over twenty years. During that time, he worked closely with Jack Williams, Micah’s great-grandfather, and long-time member of the Credit Union’s Board of Directors.

Chris and his wife, Katia, were deeply moved upon hearing Micah’s story. Katia was a labor delivery recovery and post-partum registered nurse and understood the impact Micah’s condition would have on him and his family. As the parents of two sons themselves, they sympathized with the Williams and wanted to help. When they learned that the specialized care Micah needed was offered at the University of Florida Health system in Gainesville, Florida, they opened their home in Gainesville to the Williams family. This allowed the Williams to stay together, far from their home, for Micah’s birth and subsequent surgeries.

The Rutledge’s endowed this scholarship to honor Micah, his family, and the doctors and nurses who fought for his recovery. Their generous gift ensures the scholarship will be given to a deserving student every year in perpetuity, helping to develop a new generation of medical professionals.

The purpose of the Micah Williams Memorial Scholarship is to recognize outstanding students and support their ambition to provide professional medical services.

The Gulf Winds Foundation will offer one (1) scholarship of $5,000 during the 2025-2026 scholarship cycle.

The winning scholar may choose for up to 50% of the award be paid directly to them for expenses related to furthering their education. The rest of the award will be directed to the recipient’s school of choice and marked “for tuition purposes only.”

  • Applicant must be a high school graduate. 
  • Applicant must have completed at least 12 credit hours pursuing a degree or certification in a health-related field. All degrees are eligible, including associate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral. 
  • Applicants must have at least 12 credit hours remaining after the scholarship award date to attain their desired certificate or degree in a health-related field. 
  • Applicants must be enrolled in a health discipline related directly to patient care. Veterinary medicine, dentistry and administrative disciplines (like public health) do not qualify. 
  • Applicant must complete all parts of the application by the posted deadline. Late applications will not be accepted. 
  • Applicants must live in Gulf Winds Credit Union’s field of membership as listed at GoGulfWinds.com/Membership/Join. 
  • To qualify for the scholarship, applicants, their parent(s), grandparent(s), spouse, children, or sibling must be Gulf Winds members in good standing on or before September 30, 2024. 
  • Employees of Gulf Winds Credit Union and members of their immediate family are not eligible to participate. 

For incoming higher education students, including those applying for the Rex Burt Trade School Scholarship:

  • Submit at least one (1) and not more than four (4) academic letters of recommendation from authorities at your school such as teachers, principal, or guidance counselor. 
  • Submit at least one (1) and not more than four (4) letters of recommendation from individuals, other than family members, who have known you for at least two (2) years. 
  • Applicant must provide an essay in your words answering:  
    • How do you plan to use your education to address specific challenges in your community? 
    • If selected as a recipient of this scholarship, how will the $5,000 award impact your college/trade school experience?'' 
  • The essay should be 750 words or less. Completed applications are due by midnight March 28, 2025. 
  • Completed applications are due by midnight March 28, 2025.

Review and Selection Process

After the submission deadline, applications are screened for completeness and forwarded to the Gulf Winds Foundation Scholarship Review Committee for evaluation and ranking. Applications are scored using a point system. The committee rates applications based on academic success, grade point average, extracurricular and community experiences that demonstrate leadership, career ambitions and thoughtful, clear writing. Quality references are also considered. 

No applicant will be excluded from participation or be denied the benefits of a Gulf Winds Foundation Scholarship on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, or disability. The recipient must meet all eligibility requirements. Applications will be scored solely on their merits according to the categories of: 

  • Financial need
  • Academic achievement
  • Essay strength
  • Community work/extracurriculars
  • Overall strength of the application

Publicity

Applicants agree to be interviewed and photographed for recognition and promotional purposes if they receive the scholarship.

Congratulations to Our 2024 Scholarship Winners!

In 2024, Gulf Winds awared $20,000 worth of scholarship money to four students. Out of 66 applicants our winners were:

  • Edward Bridges, aiming to innovate prosthetic tehnology at Auburn University
  • Kenna Alverson, pursuing a degree in the medical field at the University of Alabama
  • William Kroger, focusing on biomedical engineering at the University of Florida
  • John Pinette, pursuing a degree in Kinesiology at the University of Central Florida

Continue reading about how our 2024 winners plan to use their scholarship money to pursue their dreams. 

Questions?

Please direct all scholarship program questions to Scholarship@GoGulfWinds.com or 850.479.9601 x149.