ABOUT
The Class of 1948 Tuition Scholarship is awarded to an academically motivated and financially needful Andalusia High School (AHS) graduating senior. The current scholarship amount is $5,000 per academic year and is renewable for four years, providing a total value of $20,000 per student.
Application Process
Andalusia High School seniors may apply for the scholarship through the AHS Counselor. The Foundation Scholarship Committee and the AHS Counselor review applications during the late spring and recommend a scholarship recipient to the Foundation Board for final approval. The scholarship recipient is reviewed annually to ensure that the recipient maintains adequate progress toward a college degree and communicates with the Scholarship Committee. Completed applications must be received by March 31 of each year.
The Murray and Clare Findley International Study Fellowship is awarded annually to an Andalusia High School graduate currently pursuing an undergraduate college degree and desiring to participate in the University of Cambridge Summer Programme. In selecting a recipient, the Foundation gives preference to students who are current Class of 1948 Foundation scholarship recipients. Students applying for the Tuition Scholarship may also indicate their interest in studying abroad on the scholarship application. Those who indicated an interest in applying for the International Study Fellowship will be contacted during the spring of each year.
Left: 2022 Scholarship Winner Soniyah Chambers, now a student at Alabama A&M University in Hunstville, AL.
How it started
At its forty-fifth anniversary reunion, members of the AHS Class of 1948 resolved to establish a scholarship fund to honor their alma mater’s distinguished faculty and to express gratitude for the values imparted and the quality education provided. Over the following months, these dedicated alumni chartered a tax-exempt foundation, launched a successful fundraising campaign, established a governance structure, and developed a scholarship application and selection process.
The Foundation is governed by a board of trustees led by its chair, Mr. Richard Anthony. The Board holds its annual meeting in the Andalusia High School Heritage Room in late April/early May, with the executive committee meeting the day before the board meets.
Since its establishment, the Foundation has been embodied by five core guiding principles:
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To select high-potential Andalusia High School students and support them both financially and personally during their college years;
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To encourage scholarship recipients to become highly successful in college and in life and to set examples for those who follow;
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To encourage charitable contributions to the Foundation’s scholarship fund;
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To actively and conservatively invest the Foundation’s endowment funds to maximize growth and income; and
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To minimize administrative expenses.
In 1993, the Class of 1948 Foundation awarded its first scholarship ($500) to Andalusia High School senior Leticia Drakeford.
Since 1993, twenty-nine four-year scholarships have been awarded. The total value of the awarded four-year scholarships, in current inflation adjusted dollars, is approximately $500,000.
Since 2008, twenty-two international study fellowships have been awarded. Each fellowship award is valued at approximately $10,000 per recipient bringing the total amount awarded to approximately $220,000.
Current annual expenses, mainly postage and banking fees, represent less than 1% of annual contributions.
Daniel Nguyen, a 2015 graduate of Andalusia High School, received the Andalusia High School Scholarship Foundation’s 2019 International Study Fellowship.
Did you know?
Since 2008, the Foundation has awarded 22 International Study Fellowships to college students who are Andalusia High School graduates. It is now an International Study tradition that, upon returning, each student prepares a report about her/his Cambridge experiences for publication in the Andalusia Star News. These glowing reports make us all proud of the Foundation’s mission and the founding leadership of Chair Emeritus Robert Brown, the late Murray Findley, and other members of the Class of 1948.
Twenty-nine four-year scholarships have been awarded since 1993.