Hood, New England's leading dairy processor, will once again award eighteen $5,000 Hood Sportsmanship Scholarships in 2015 to high school seniors who demonstrate integrity and sportsmanship on and off the field.

Three high school seniors in each of the six New England states will be awarded a $5,000 college scholarship for a total of $90,000. In 2014, Briana Goud of Wiscasset was one of three Mainers to receive the scholarship; and in 2013, Boothbay Region High School’s Sarah Caron won a scholarship as well.

Celebrating not only strong academics, Hood aims to recognize the importance of good sportsmanship. To be eligible for the scholarship, high school seniors must have proven their ability to put the spirit of competition above winning while participating in a varsity sport.

The Hood Sportsmanship Scholarship program is open to seniors enrolled in a high school in one of the six New England states. Students must attend a two- or four-year accredited college or university in the fall of 2015 and meet the following criteria: minimum of a 3.0 GPA, participated in a varsity sport in high school, volunteered in his/her community, and displayed a high degree of sportsmanship while participating in a sport in high school.

Entries will be accepted online at Hood.com now through March 6, 2015.

Students will be asked to complete the application form and write a short essay explaining how they display sportsmanship and integrity on and off the field.

Voting will be open to the public March 23 through April 24, 2015, at Hood.com to determine the 10 finalists from each state who will then be interviewed by a panel of judges.

Now entering its sixth year, the Hood Sportsmanship Scholarship presented by Hood Milk has become one of the largest scholarships in New England and has impacted 90 students and their families over the past five years.

The final 18 winners will be notified in May and be invited to attend an awards banquet, where Gord Kluzak will speak about the importance of sportsmanship. Kluzak, retired Boston Bruins defense man and current investment advisor at Goldman Sachs, will serve as the spokesperson for this year’s program.

In 2013, the New England Sports Museum launched the first ever Sportsmanship Exhibit, which highlighted real-life examples of how professional athletes have been able to excel while still maintaining a high degree of sportsmanship. Past scholarship winners are also showcased in this exhibit and it has been well-received with the viewing public.

The exhibit will also now be highlighted online at http://sportsmuseum.org/education/the-hood-sportsmanship-scholarship.aspx.