Fort Lewis College announced Monday it will financially reward students who have earned scholarships from civic organizations in Southwest Colorado.

The college will start providing the one-time scholarships of $500 in the fall to those students who have received financial awards from civic organizations, such as service clubs, fraternal societies or other nonprofit associations, according to a news release.

“Many of our local students are being recognized for their merit and hard work by civic organizations, and we want them to take advantage of our scholarship match and continue their success as an undergraduate at Fort Lewis College,” President Tom Stritikus said in the release.

The idea for the one-time scholarships came up during Stritikus’ listening tour when he started at the college, said Lauren Savage, a spokeswoman for the college.

The college plans to match scholarships awarded by organizations in 13 Colorado counties, including Alamosa, Archuleta, Delta, Gunnison, La Plata, Mesa, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan, and San Miguel.

Incoming freshman and enrolled students studying full time for their first bachelor’s degree will be eligible for the new Civic Match Scholarship, the release said.

The college hopes to award 40 scholarships in the first year, Savage said.

The money for the scholarships will come from the Fort Lewis College Foundation general scholarship funds, she said.

The new scholarship is one of several new programs the college has launched in the last year to help students financially.

The college announced the FLC Tuition Promise in October to ensure students from families earning $60,000 a year or less can go to school tuition-free in the fall.

In the spring, the college started providing microgrants to students to help with personal expenses, such as housing and car repairs, to help them stay in school.

Students can apply for the Civic Match Scholarship through the Fort Lewis College Foundation.

Those interested in contributing to the new scholarship can visit fortlewis.edu/makeagift and designate the donation for the Civic Match Scholarship.

mshinn@durangoherald.com