POINT PLEASANT — Given the current state of the economy, graduating seniors are seeking ways to fund their college education.

Scholarships are vital to many seniors and the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation (PACF) and regional affiliate foundations in Doddridge, Ritchie, Jackson, Mason counties and the Little Kanawha area of Wirt and Calhoun counties is making scholarships available for area students.

Mason County students along with students from Wood, Calhoun, Gilmer, Doddridge, Roane, Wirt, Ritchie, Jackson and Pleasant counties and Washington County, Ohio, are eligible for the scholarships. In addition, Mason County students could be awarded several local scholarships, including the Bob Adkins Memorial, Mary Jo Cochran (AAUW) Memorial, Nedra Wilhelm Jones Memorial Scholarships, Jack and Babs Fruth Scholarship and the Mason County Scholarship of Promise.

According to a news release, the Community Foundation administers more than 150 scholarship funds — each of which has certain eligibility restrictions. For example, some scholarships are restricted to students graduating from a particular high school, while others are restricted to students pursuing a certain field of study or attending a particular post-secondary educational institution.

Potential applicants must first review the list of foundation scholarships available as well as eligibility criteria to determine the ones that they can receive. A scholarship description list is available on the foundations Web site, www.pacfwv.com. The foundation uses one consolidated application for most scholarships. This application can be completed and submitted online this year. To access the application, click “find scholarships” on the Web site’s home page. The application deadline is March 15.

The foundation also will host two webinars on the scholarship process. Students, parents and other interested individuals can participate in the webinar from any location with a telephone and a computer that has Internet access. The webinars will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 15 and Tuesday, Feb. 23. To register for the webinar, send an e-mail to info@pacfwv.com. The foundation will then send instructions on how to access the webinar.

For information about the scholarships and webinars, contact the Mason County Foundation at 304-372-8588 or the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation at 304-348-4438.