Voters of Southwest Mississippi, since you elected me to be your servant and your voice at the Capitol in Jackson, I have been a vocal proponent of improving the education system for our young people, and I have continued to speak in favor of seeing an increase in the number of our young people who attend college.

That is why I started my own scholarship fund for our District 38 high school graduates who will next attend a Mississippi college or university.

We are accepting applications for the Sen. Kelvin E. Butler Scholarship Award that will give three first-year college students $500 cash to do whatever they want.

Ideally, it can be used to buy books or pay toward tuition.

Any District 38 student who will be attending an Institution of Higher Learning in the State of Mississippi full-time for the 2012-2013 school year is eligible if they have lived within my district in Adams, Amite, Pike, Walthall and Wilkinson counties for at least one year.

The free money will be awarded based upon academic achievement and financial need.

Please apply by Aug. 1.

The scholarship is in its eighth year of success in helping students of District 38.

The scholarship is not funded with taxpayer monies, but rather private donations through my political arm.

For more information on the scholarship, eligibility requirements and for a downloadable application, please log on to my personal website at www.kelvinbutler.com.

 

Sen. Kelvin Butler

Magnolia resident