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About the Lloyd F. Hutt Scholarship
Established in 1990, this scholarship program honors the legacy of Lloyd F. Hutt — teacher and founder of LMCU. Each year, we establish a prompt for high school seniors to write about in the form of an essay and award twenty (20) $2,000 scholarships. We are proud to have provided over $660,000 in scholarships to 372 deserving students over the years.
We would like to thank all participants. Submissions for the 2026 graduating class are now closed. Please check back this spring for the winner announcement.
Check out the 2026 winner essays here.
Who is eligible?
All applicants must be a resident of Michigan or Florida, or a member of Lake Michigan Credit Union (LMCU), or the child of an LMCU member (i.e. a student in Texas must be a member or child of a member to be eligible). The Lloyd F. Hutt Scholarship is not open to LMCU employees, directors, and officers or their immediate families, or to employees or immediate family of any of LMCU’s affiliated companies, licensees, advertising, or promotional agencies. Immediate family includes the following: spouse, child, father, mother, brother, sister, grandparent, step parents, step children, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, grandchildren, and grandparents-in-law.
All applicants must be high school seniors, including home school students, and plan to enter a trade school, college, or university in the next academic year. Recipients must submit evidence of acceptance and enrollment in an accredited trade school, college, or university before payment will be made.
Format/guidelines
The scholarship committee's principal determining factor in selecting award recipients is the applicant's passion for the topic. Additionally, the committee will use the following criteria in judging responses to the topic: comprehension of subject, organization, language use, originality, clarity, spelling, and grammar.
Failure to follow the official format guidelines may result in ineligibility.
Important notes:
- Do not include your name, school name, or any other identifying information in your essay.
- To ensure originality, each essay will be screened for plagiarism and AI-generated content.
Essay Requirements:
- Length: 750-1500 words
- Typed in easy-to-read font
- Black font on a white background
- Double spaced
- Include a title
- Save and submit as an Adobe Acrobat PDF (.pdf)
How are winners selected?
Winners of the Lloyd F. Hutt Scholarship Award will be selected by an independent committee of area professionals appointed by the Board of Directors of Lake Michigan Credit Union.
All essays are submitted to the judges with no identifying marks or symbols so the name of the applicant and the school they attend are not visible.
The scholarship committee's principal determining factor in selecting award recipients is the applicant's demonstrated passion for the topic. Additionally, the committee will use the following criteria in judging responses to the topic: comprehension of subject, organization, language use, originality, clarity, spelling, and grammar. Scholarship recipients will be selected without regard to their race, religion, or gender identity.
To ensure originality, each essay will be screened for plagiarized or AI-generated content.
If you encounter any issues while submitting your application, please email us at [email protected].
School resources
We invite you to share the Lloyd F. Hutt Scholarship Program with your students using the online scholarship resources provided here. These materials give your students everything they need to learn about the scholarship and how to apply.
If you have any questions about the scholarship, please email [email protected].
The amount of the award will be paid to the recipient and educational institution in which the student is enrolled. The award is intended to provide financial assistance to the recipient in their pursuit of an undergraduate degree at an accredited trade school, college, or university. The money is to be used for the student's tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment. The awards are intended to constitute qualified scholarships, exempt from federal income tax under Section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Use of the amount for purposes other than those previously noted may jeopardize exempt status. If a tax liability arises, it will be the sole responsibility of the recipient.
Lake Michigan Credit Union shall maintain records and administer and provide all necessary staffing for the Lloyd F. Hutt Scholarship Program (except for the scholarship committee). Lake Michigan Credit Union will provide the Board of Directors with a written report, detailing all awards.
Modification or elimination of program
Lake Michigan Credit Union reserves the right to modify or eliminate the Lloyd F. Hutt Scholarship Program at any time without notice. Not withstanding the foregoing, any award due and payable under the program prior to such modification or elimination shall continue to be payable according to the program’s terms in effect at the time Lake Michigan Credit Union made the grant. All entries shall become the property of Lake Michigan Credit Union.