Greenwell Springs, LA – DEMCO and The DEMCO Foundation have committed $187,500 in scholarships to support 75 students during the 2025–2026 academic year—continuing the co-op’s longstanding tradition and ongoing investment in education, one of the core principles that guides the member-owned cooperative.
“These scholarships are part of our broader commitment to our members and the communities we serve,” says Randy Pierce, DEMCO chief executive officer and general manager. “Supporting education is one way we live out the cooperative principle of concern for community.”
At DEMCO’s 2025 Annual Membership Meeting, 50 DEMCO Scholarship recipients were selected through a random drawing of eligible co-op member-students. The program is funded through unclaimed deposits—funds that, due to a 1993 legislative change, are allowed to remain with DEMCO and be used to benefit member-students. “Rather than sending this money to the state’s general treasury fund, we use it right here to help families in our community,” Pierce adds.
An additional 25 students were approved to receive scholarships from The DEMCO Foundation during its July board meeting. The DEMCO Foundation, established in 1997 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, works year-round to support DEMCO members within the DEMCO service area.
To date, DEMCO and The DEMCO Foundation have awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to students across its seven-parish service area: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Livingston, St. Helena, Tangipahoa, and West Feliciana.
“These scholarships are one more way DEMCO puts cooperative principles into action—powering life and community by supporting education, fostering opportunity, and strengthening our communities for generations to come,” says Pierce.
For more information about DEMCO’s scholarship programs and youth programs, visit DEMCO.org/Community.
DEMCO is a locally owned electric cooperative with 119,120 meters and 9,234 miles of power line, serving members in seven parishes: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Livingston, St. Helena, Tangipahoa, and West Feliciana.
