Alumni Association scholarship applications open
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Alumni Association will begin accepting applications for 2026 in January, Association Secretary Susan Blackwell wrote in an announcement to the Columbia Basin Herald.
Applications will be available at the counseling offices at Moses Lake High School, the Digital Learning Center, Vanguard Academy and Big Bend Community College, according to the announcement.
The MLAA funds the scholarships through donations from its own members and others in the community, according to the announcement. In addition, graduating classes will sometimes band together at their class reunions to fund scholarships, Blackwell told the Columbia Basin Herald in a previous interview. The class of 1962, for instance, donated eight scholarships in memory of former Moses Lake High School teacher and coach Gary Frey, who passed away in December 2022. Individual MLAA members also honor loved ones by donating to the scholarship fund. To apply, students fill out an application form and submit transcripts and letters of recommendation, as well as a letter stating what their goals are, Blackwell told the Columbia Basin Herald. Then those applications are ranked by a committee within the association.
The number and amount awarded vary according to how much money is available, Blackwell wrote.
In 2025, 12 students received scholarships, according to Columbia Basin Herald archives.
The MLAA has awarded $280,000 worth of scholarships since its inception in 2007, Blackwell wrote.
The 2026 recipients will be honored at a special event in April or May, Blackwell wrote. The MLAA’s board also attends Honors Night at Moses Lake High School.
The MLAA welcomes new members to join the monthly meetings, from October through May, or to participate in the Scholarship Committee in February and March. Members who only wish to support financially are very welcome and necessary, she added.
Further information may be obtained through the Moses Lake Alumni Association Facebook page, by email at [email protected] or by mail to P.O. Box 1446, Moses Lake, WA 98837. Membership dues are $5 per year. Donations are tax-deductible as the MLAA is a nonprofit organization.