Leo H. Brooks Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Community Foundation of Central Georgia

Leo H. Brooks (September 13, 1932 – 2014) was a lifelong educator from Bainbridge, Georgia. After finishing Bainbridge High School, he pursued higher education at Florida State University and Troy State University, earning his bachelor’s degree from Troy State in 1959. He later completed a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration at Mississippi College in 1966. Early in his career he taught social studies and coached athletics at Coffee High School in Douglas, Georgia, then spent nine years teaching at Mark Smith High School in Macon. He went on to serve more than twenty-four years as a school administrator within the Coffee County School System. Mr. Brooks retired after thirty-three years of service to education.

Following his retirement, he was elected to two four-year terms on the Coffee County Board of Education and held the position of Board Chairman for five of those eight years. Mr. Brooks died in 2014 at the age of 81.

He was married to Beth Childs Brooks. They had one daughter, Lunday (married to Kevin Buffington of Columbus, Georgia), and three grandchildren: Brooks, Lillie, and Eva Buffington.

Mr. Brooks was passionate about supporting educational opportunities for young people. In honor of that commitment, the Leo H. Brooks Scholarship Fund was created to assist graduates of the Coffee County Public School System in continuing their education.

Purpose
- Provide college scholarships to graduates of Coffee County’s public schools. Awards may be applied toward tuition, books, fees, supplies, and room and board.

Eligibility
- Applicants must be graduating seniors of Coffee High School or graduates of any public high school operated by the Coffee County Board of Education (including schools that may be added in the future).
- Initial scholarships are awarded only to current graduating seniors or recent graduates who will enroll in an accredited college or university for the fall term or quarter immediately following high school graduation. Once awarded, the scholarship may continue while the recipient remains enrolled in college, provided they meet the ongoing eligibility requirements below.
- Recipients must be enrolled full time in an accredited two- or four-year college or university.
- Students already attending college must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress as defined by their institution and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00. GPA will be reviewed annually at the end of the spring semester or quarter.
- “Satisfactory progress” also means a student may miss no more than one semester or quarter per academic year. The Foundation may waive this attendance limit in cases of unusual hardship, illness, or disability, if it reasonably determines the absence will not prevent the student’s return for more than one additional semester or quarter.
- Scholarship eligibility for continuation ceases upon graduation or after completing four and one-half academic years of postsecondary education, whichever comes first.

Selection Criteria
Applicants will be evaluated on:
- Scholastic achievement (average to above-average academic performance)
- Personal character
- Financial need — priority for initial awards will be given to students who are not eligible for the HOPE Scholarship
- Evidence of potential for success, such as academic records, demonstrations of overcoming adversity, and involvement in school, community, or religious activities

Application Requirements (additional short-answer items and attachments)
When selecting the Leo H. Brooks Scholarship Fund on the final page of the application, provide the following:
- Contact information (names and email addresses) for two references who have agreed to submit letters of recommendation on your behalf. One reference must be a teacher, school staff member, or other adult able to speak to your academic abilities. The second must be a community member, volunteer advisor, or other adult who can speak to your community involvement. References will receive an email from the application system with instructions to submit their recommendation. Ask your references for their permission before entering their emails and notify them when you submit your application so they know to expect the request.
- A resume listing school and community activities, athletics, awards, offices held, and other pertinent experiences.
- Your most recent high school transcript (request this from your current school).
- A current, submitted FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR) showing the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number in the upper right-hand corner. Applications missing the EFC will be considered incomplete.