Smithfield Little Theatre has announced this year’s round of scholarships and expanded criteria for the scholarships to include more students.

SLT gives a $1,500 scholarship every year, and in some years has given up to three awards. The theatre’s focus is the performing arts, but academic excellence is also honored by the scholarship award.

As students mainly apply through their high school guidance counselors every year, some students may have missed out last year. Therefore, the revised criteria this year includes first-semester college students.

The scholarship tab at smithfieldlittletheatre.org has more information, deadlines and copies of the application.

“We will continue to offer scholarships in the coming years,” said Elaine Dairo, scholarship chair. “Encourage students to be strong, stay focused, continue their education and this too will be in the past. COVID has been a nasty brute the past two years, but our youth will persevere. They have their whole lives ahead of them. This pandemic has only been a speed bump; not a roadblock.”

The selection committee also includes Hugh Copeland, executive director of Hurrah Players; Susan Babiy-Lawrence, Suffolk Cultural Arts Center retired executive director; Elaine Abicht, retired executive of Smithfield Foods, co-owner of The Christmas Store in Smithfield and co-founder of the non-profit Smithfield Music.