University offers new scholarships

Georgia College students will benefit from two new endowed scholarships established to support history and English majors.

Thomas “Tad” W. Brown Jr., chair of the Georgia College Foundation Board of Trustees, and his wife Mary Kay Brown, have established an endowed scholarship for English and history students at Georgia College.

“We made a gift to encourage the study of core disciplines in the humanities—fundamental elements to the mission of a liberal arts college,” Brown said in a press release.

Brown serves as president of the Watson-Brown Foundation, which has previously provided Georgia College $2.5 million in endowed funds.

Malcolm S. Burgess Jr., president and chairman of the board of the Burgess Pigment Company, has also established an endowed scholarship for Georgia College students, supporting a university priority set by President Dorothy Leland.

“When President Leland told me how important it is for the university to have more scholarship funds to award the best students, I wanted to support her and the university,” Burgess said in a press release. “Georgia College helps us keep Georgia’s best and brightest students right here in Georgia, and these scholarships will help the university prepare its students for leadership roles in their professions and in their communities.”

Both Brown and Burgess are trustees of the Georgia College Foundation and these donations to establish these endowments will create available scholarship money for students once the scholarships are fully funded.

“I think scholarships are a great use of money, both federal and private, and especially if they continue to be achievement-based instead of depending on who your family is or where you come from,” said senior biology major Blake Davison.

It will be several years before the funds are available for students, but they will be available through the same application process for other scholarships, according Amy Amason, vice president for external relations and University Advancement and executive director of the Georgia College Foundation.

“Having money from the HOPE scholarship helps so much with school, it’s great to hear about new scholarships and more opportunities for students to fund their education,” said undeclared major sophomore Lindsay Schirato.

A minimum of $10,000 establishes an endowment, and this donation accumulates interest to provide financial support in the area of the donor’s choosing. Endowments support scholarships, library improvements, professorships and study abroad programs. The initial donation is never spent, ensuring that the donation will continue to provide financial support for the life of Georgia College.

“I appreciate the support people are willing to offer college students, and without it many students wouldn’t be able to further both their education and themselves,” said pre-med sophomore Alyson Krisher.

Posted by Caitlin Renn on Feb 3 2011. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.