Nine students heading to college this fall will receive help with their tuition, thanks to PPL Montana’s scholarship programs.

PPL Montana established the scholarship programs in 2000 to recognize the achievements of Montana students and encourage them to continue their education in the state. Recipients are selected by a team of PPL Montana employees, which considers a number of factors, including academics and extracurricular accomplishments.

The scholarship money is sent directly to the schools where the students will attend to help with tuition costs. About 100 applications were received for this year’s scholarships.

“By giving a helping hand to qualified high school seniors, many of whom plan to attend Montana’s excellent colleges and universities, we’re doing our small part to prepare tomorrow’s leaders,” said Lisa Perry, community affairs manager for PPL Montana.

“A good college education really leads the way for a strong economy and to prepare young people to accept leadership roles and make a difference in their communities,” she said.

The PPL Montana Family Scholarship Program is earmarked for high school students who are sons or daughters of PPL Montana employees and retirees. Scholarships of $1,000 were awarded to:

• Chelsea Brauer, daughter of Dale Brauer, mechanic apprentice at the Colstrip power plant. She will attend the University of Montana.
• Chris Thrower, son of Dave Engellant, laborer and apprentice mechanic at the Colstrip power plant. He will attend Montana State University-Billings.
• Matthew Bell, son of Mike Bell, a journeyman system operator at the Colstrip power plant. He will attend Montana State University-Northern.
• Mykal Eden, daughter of Richard Henson, a supply chain support specialist at the Corette power plant in Billings. She will attend Boise State University.

Selected for $2,000 scholarships from PPL Montana’s Education Scholarship Program, which is open to students throughout the state, provided they choose to attend at a Montana college or university, are:

• Jennifer Keller of Billings, who will attend Montana State University.
• Stephany Kessler of Billings, who will attend Montana State University-Billings or the University of Montana.
• Leigha Hopkins of Billings, who will attend Carroll College in Helena.
• Shayna Hurley of Seeley Lake, who will attend the University of Montana’s College of Technology.

In addition, Rebekah Tsatsa, a junior at Montana State University-Billings majoring in health and human performance, received $700 from the PPL Montana Women’s Softball Endowment fund. The fund was established at the university in 1999 with a $10,000 contribution from PPL Montana. A committee from the university selects the recipient.

PPL Montana provides safe, reliable energy from coal-fired power plants at Colstrip and Billings, as well as 11 hydroelectric plants along West Rosebud Creek and the Missouri, Madison, Clark Fork and Flathead rivers. It has a combined generating capacity of more than 1,200 megawatts and has offices in Billings, Butte and Helena. PPL Montana and its 500 employees are dedicated to Montana and its communities, supporting educational, environmental and economic development programs across the state. PPL EnergyPlus operates a trading floor in Butte that markets and sells power for PPL Montana in wholesale and retail energy markets throughout the western United States. PPL Montana and PPL EnergyPlus are subsidiaries of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL).