The fund was established in October 2008 thanks to the generous support of former Bethungra resident and Cootamundra High School pupil Laurie Cowled and since then has provided monetary support to more than 25 students.

Local businesses including GM Scott have jumped on board to continue to see the fund thrive.

The fund is designed to support everyone from university students to pending tradies to those pursuing other academic, cultural and sporting endeavours.

Thirteen applications this year were whittled down to seven recipients, who shared in the $12,000 pool of available funds.

Amongst the recipients for 2012 are Christa Chapman, Jess Lambert, Carly Bell, Matthew Wilson, Susan Ritchie, James Gordon and Joel Bradbury.

Christa is off to the University of New England this year to study criminology, Jess will study children’s service at Cootamundra TAFE, Carly is off to Charles Sturt University to undertake a psychology degree, Matthew is preparing to take on a plumbing apprenticeship, Susan is taking a gap year before studying architecture and James is doing a TAFE course this year that will qualify him to become a personal trainer before heading to university in Canberra next year to study exercise science.

Fund secretary David Hain said fundraising will continue over the course of this year to ensure the organisation is able to assist a new group of young people next year.

He congratulated the students on their varied choices and wished them well in the future, reiterating that the Cootamundra and District Country Education Fund is not only available to assist those young people who are off to university but also others who are following different paths.