POULSBO — Two renewable $2,500 scholarships at Western Washington University in Poulsbo have been established, thanks to a $25,000 donation from Kitsap Bank.

The scholarships were announced in fall.

Tony George, Kitsap Bank’s president and chief operating officer said in the announcement, “We are very pleased to support Western Washington University and their work with Olympic College to bring four-year degrees to the peninsulas. These programs allow students to remain close to home while pursuing a first-rate education, and help to grow and retain talent in our local community.”

The scholarships will go to two students per academic year who are enrolled in any of the four-year programs in Poulsbo being offered by Western’s College of Business and Economics, or who are enrolled in Western’s Computer and Information Systems Security program. Recipients must have 3.0 GPA or higher and reside in Kitsap, Mason, Jefferson, Clallam, or Pierce counties.

“We are very appreciative to receive this vote of confidence from the region’s business, industry, and governmental leaders,” said Earl Gibbons, vice provost for extended education at Western. “While this gift is an acknowledgement of Western’s efforts to serve the people of the peninsulas, it ultimately is a critical investment in the region’s most valuable asset, its people.”

The scholarships can be used to help pay for any costs associated with the students’ educational expenses, including tuition, books, supplies and materials. The first awards will be made in spring.

Other scholarships established by Kitsap Bank and the Langer family: the Kitsap Bank Scholarship, presented each fall at the Columbus Day Community Luncheon; the Helen Langer Smith and Dr. Meredith P. Smith Scholarship, presented each spring; and the Helen Langer Smith and Dr. Meredith P. Smith Scholarship, offered each year at University of Washington Foster School of Business for a business student who resides in Kitsap Bank’s market area.