Founded in 1868, Citizens National Bank of Texas is the oldest independent bank in the State of Texas. Our philosophy of giving back to the customers, citizens, and communities we serve has kept us strong when so many other banks have failed. In 1930, Colonel Marvin E. Singleton became Chairman of the Board of CNB, and thus began the respected heritage of the Singleton family's majority ownership and leadership of the bank.
 
To honor their father, the children of Colonel Singleton established the M. E. Singleton Scholarship Trust in 1952. In 1996, The Shannon Elizabeth Singleton Memorial Scholarship was established in remembrance of the great-granddaughter of Colonel Singleton.
 
The purpose of the trust is to enable outstanding Ellis County high school seniors and those residing in communities with a CNB Branch the opportunity to receive a higher education. The trust is administered by Citizens National Bank of Texas and has awarded over 1600 scholarships totaling in excess of $5.5M.
 
The online application for the M.E. Singleton Scholarship will be available starting Tuesday, January 2, 2024 and close on Friday, May 3, 2024.  Students applying for the scholarship must complete the electronic application on this website. In addition to the application, each student is required to submit via this website the following documents:
  • Copy of High School Transcript (does not have to be official, copies are accepted).
  • Copy of the first two pages of parent's/guardian's most recent Tax Return. (Should provide parents' or guardians' reported income)
  • Current Headshot Photo.  (Selfies are not acceptable)
  • Essay (less than 500 words, explain what makes you stand out among your classmates and why should you be selected for one of the scholarships being offered).
  • Two letters of recommendation from a principal, superintendent, counselor, teacher, or pastor/priest.

Applications are to be completed by the deadline of Friday, May 3, 2024 at 5:00pm CST, after which the application will be locked; no additional information or documents can be added or edited.  Only completed applications with all the required documents uploaded will be reviewed by the Scholarship Committee, and the recipients will be notified of the Committee’s decisions in May of 2024 via the contact email entered on the scholarship application.

Important Note: All communication will be through the email address listed on the application.  If you have any questions please contact Julie Henry at [email protected] or (972) 351-5111.