Who is Eligible?

Eligible students must be from one of the 23 counties listed below. A student's permanent address must be within the designated county region at the time of high school graduation. Current high school seniors or current undergraduate students may apply for the scholarship. Students must plan to attend a 4 year, regionally accredited, non-profit college. The Foundation recognizes colleges and universities accredited by one of the six regional accreditation agencies, such as SACS.

GEORGIA

  • Burke
  • Columbia
  • Elbert
  • Glascock
  • Hart
  • Jefferson
  • Jenkins
  • Lincoln
  • McDuffie
  • Richmond
  • Screven
  • Taliaferro
  • Warren
  • Wilkes

SOUTH CAROLINA

  • Abbeville
  • Aiken
  • Allendale
  • Bamberg
  • Barnwell
  • Edgefield
  • Greenville
  • McCormick
  • Spartanburg

 

Scholarship Decision and Disbursement

Decision letters for all submitted applications will be mailed from the Thomson, Georgia office of the Watson-Brown Foundation by April 15th of each year.

Scholarship funds in the amount of $3,000 will be mailed to a recipient’s college or university of choice twice yearly: once in the Fall semester (July) and once in the Spring semester (January). Scholarship funds cannot be rolled over into subsequent semesters or pooled for future use. Each recipient will have up to $3,000 of funding available for each eligible semester.

How Long Am I Eligible for My Funding?

Scholarship funds may only be used to cover approved cost of attendance expenses for a recipient’s first four eligible years of undergraduate study. The number of eligible funding semesters awarded to new recipients is determined based on the applicant’s total years of post-secondary education completed as of the initial semester of award eligibility, shown below:

  • Zero years of post-secondary education completed: eight potential semesters of eligibility.
  • One year of post-secondary education completed: six potential semesters of eligibility.
  • Two years of post-secondary education completed: four potential semesters of eligibility.
  • Three years of post-secondary education completed: two potential semesters of eligibility.

When Will My Scholarship Eligibility End?

A recipient will have a period of five consecutive years to use all eligible semesters of funding. This period begins with the first semester of attendance following acceptance as a Watson-Brown Scholarship recipient. This period ends if one of the following criteria is met:

  • A recipient attends college for the total number of eligible semesters awarded.
  • A recipient exceeds the five consecutive year period available to use their scholarship funds.
  • A recipient graduates from an undergraduate academic program.

 

Scholarship funds cannot be used for any period of time in which a recipient attends an academic institution that does not meet eligibility requirements. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Community or technical colleges, with the exception of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA
  • Four-year academic institutions that are not accredited by the six regional accrediting bodies.
  • Bridge programs.

Maintaining the Scholarship

To maintain eligibility of the Watson-Brown Foundation Scholarship a recipient must meet the following requirements each semester:

  • Attend a four-year non-profit college or university accredited by one of the six regional accreditation agencies. A list of these agencies can be found here. Please note that the ACCJC is responsible for the accreditation of junior/technical colleges, all of which are institutions deemed ineligible for the Watson-Brown Foundation Scholarship.
  • Maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
  • Complete each semester (Fall/Spring) with at least 12 credit hours (or the institution’s equivalent). Recipients must receive a letter grade in each course to be considered as complete. A course will not be considered complete if any of the following occur:
    • A student withdraws from a course prior to the end of the semester.
    • A student receives an Incomplete grade for a course.
  • Complete the Watson-Brown Foundation Scholarship Renewal Form at the end of each Fall and Spring semester. For details on the Renewal Form, please see the “Renewal Process and Guidelines” panel.
  • Notify the Foundation if they transfer colleges, plan to study abroad, plan on taking time off from school, or are considering dropping a course that will place them below full-time status.

Scholarship funds will not be made available for any period of time in which a recipient fails to maintain scholarship eligibility requirements. Semesters in which a recipient fails to meet eligibility requirements will still count towards their total awarded semesters of funding. Recipients will once again be eligible to receive funds after completing a semester in which all eligibility requirements are satisfied.

 

Renewal Process and Guidelines

To renew your Watson-Brown Foundation Scholarship, you agree to:

  • Maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
  • Take a full course load (12 credit hours or your institution’s equivalent). Notify the Foundation immediately if you plan to drop below 12 credit hours.
  • Complete the Online Renewal Form and upload your transcript/grade report at the end of each Fall and Spring semester.

Scholarship checks will be sent to colleges in early January (Spring semester) and July (Fall semester).

The Fall renewal deadline is June 1st and the Spring renewal deadline is December 31st.

Please notify the Foundation office if you transfer colleges or plan to study abroad. The Watson-Brown Scholarship may help fund study abroad and/or other special educational programs (depending on your college’s policy). However, the scholarship amount will not increase for these purposes.

Placing Your Scholarship on “Hold”

Recipients can elect not to receive scholarship funds during any period of time in which they are completing a co-op, internship, or other similar activity, including gap periods. In these instances, recipients are required to inform the Foundation directly of their decision as well as make note of said decision on the appropriate semester’s Renewal Form. Scholarship funds will be placed on “hold” for the requested period of time and the recipient’s scholarship eligibility end date will be adjusted accordingly.