Background

Jeanette Williamson Craig and Eugene “Gene” L. Craig, both descendants of mill workers, were raised and married in the North Highland neighborhood of Columbus, Georgia. They were the first in each of their families to obtain a college degree. Together, they served for nearly 70 years as educators for Muscogee County School District. Jeanette spent most of her career as a media specialist, where her library was described as the “heart of the school.” Among her many talents, she was an avid seamstress and recycled common household items for use in her classrooms and libraries.

Like his wife, Gene’s passion was the development of the whole child with an emphasis on building strong character. Following his time as a teacher, Gene served for 29 years as the principal of Waddell Elementary. His “morning messages” were but one example of his dedication to the teachers and students – a way of letting them know how truly special they were and how all their lives and goals mattered. Gene earned many accolades throughout his career and served on the executive committees of the Muscogee County Principals Association and the Muscogee Educators Association. He also served as the president of the Muscogee County Retired Educators Association.

Jeanette and Gene have two children and enjoyed 57 years of marriage until Jeanette’s death in 2016. Gene presented the first Craig Scholarship in the spring of 2017 and passed away that same fall. Jeanette and Gene’s dedication to education and their impassioned belief in giving back to our community has formed the basis for the Craig Scholarship. This scholarship is established in their honor to help students continue their education and obtain college degrees.

Overview

The Craig Scholarship:

• Is intended to help students with financial need, high character, and average and above scholastic merit achieve a bachelor's degree.
• Will be paid annually to the two- or four-year accredited college or university of the student’s choice.
• Will pay $5,000 annually.
• Can be used to cover the cost of tuition, fees, housing, books and “other reasonable costs associated with obtaining a full and rewarding college education”.
  • Note: For most students, a scholarship grant used for tuition, fees, books, supplies and essential equipment is usually not taxable. Scholarship funds used for room and board, stipends and other purposes may be taxable. Scholarship recipients should consult a tax professional with questions about the tax implications of their scholarship grant.
• Is renewable for four years based on continuous full-time enrollment during the regular school year and maintenance of at least a 2.5 GPA.

One Craig Scholar will be selected in 2024. Ideally, the successful applicant will share the same high character as that exemplified by the Craigs’ dedication to the needs of others through their lives. We would expect the Craig Scholar to be able to demonstrate that character through service to their school, community, religious organization and/or job.

Eligibility & Application Process

Applicants for the Craig Scholarship must:

• Plan to enter college as a first year undergraduate in the Fall of 2024 with the intention of obtaining a bachelor's degree.
• Hold primary residence in Muscogee County, Georgia.
• Be U.S. citizens at the time of their application.
• Not be immediate family members of any employee or board member of the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, Inc.
• Complete a personal interview with the Craig Scholarship Committee if selected as a finalist.
• Demonstrate financial need, high character and average and above scholastic merit. Applicant should demonstrate character through service to their school, community, religious organization and/or job.
• Complete and submit as instructed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid Form (FAFSA), and submit in their application a copy of the first page of the resulting Student Aid Report (SAR). Financial information will be held in strictest confidence.

Timeline

*NOTE: CFCV is aware of delays associated with the revised FAFSA form and as such, reserves the right to adjust the timeline below. Application deadlines will be updated on the scholarship application portal (link below).

• Completed Application Due: Friday, March 15, 2024, 5 p.m. EST
• Notification of Finalist Status: May 2024

Apply Now!