Criteria for 2025-26 Academic Scholarships

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Expanding Our Scholarship Opportunities

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The Israel Brooks Foundation is proud to expand its scholarship program to recognize graduating high school seniors who have chosen to serve our nation through military service.

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Beginning this year, the Foundation will award two Military Service Stipends to students who have committed to enlisting in a branch of the United States Armed Forces following high school graduation. These stipends are intended to honor their dedication, courage, and commitment to serving our country as they begin this important chapter of their lives.

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We believe that answering the call to military service is a meaningful path of leadership and sacrifice, and we are honored to support these outstanding young men and women as they embark on their journey.

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Academic Scholarship Criteria

 

To be eligible to apply for an Israel Brooks Foundation academic scholarship, the following criteria must be met:

• Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher at the time of application

• An active member of Saint John Baptist Church, Columbia, South Carolina, OR a Child or Grandchild of a member of law enforcement

• Acceptance or currently enrolled as a full-time student in a college/university for the 2025-26 Academic Year

• You are not eligible if you have already obtained an undergraduate degree.

All applicants must complete an application found on the www.ibrooksfoundation.com website: 

The following documents must be included:

 

• Valid Transcript from the applicant’s current or most recently attended high school (secondary school), college, or university.  Transcripts downloaded, screenshots, or printed and scanned directly from the applicant’s college or university website are acceptable for submitting the scholarship application.

• Two letters of recommendation (1 educational & 1 personal) from persons other than relatives)

• Applicants can pick “an essay” or PowerPoint Presentation 

  • Essay: All essays must be formatted in APA 7th edition format, a 750-word requirement which is equivalent to 3 pages double-spaced (Please note that the word count does not include the Title page or the reference). Please cite your information within the body of the paper. 

  • PowerPoint Presentation: Applicants will submit a 6-10 slide presentation and include references/citations. Please include notes to explain each slide. 

  • Topics: 

    • High School Senior Topic: “Israel Brooks: His Life and Legacy”

    • College Undergraduate Topic: “The Importance of the Black Voter"

• High School Seniors: Copy of your College Letter of Acceptance verifying acceptance as an enrolled student for the 2025-26 academic year.  Note: Student enrollment status must be full-time (12 or more credit hours) 

• Undergraduate: Full-time enrollment in an accredited college/university for the 2026-27 academic year (Schedule from the Registrar’s Office of your chosen college/university)

• Program of study (optional)

 

Application Guidelines for Academic Scholarships

All applications and supporting materials for scholarships must be submitted electronically in the format specified. They must be completed and verified before being considered by the Israel Brooks Foundation Scholarship Application Evaluation Committee. Only complete applications with all required supporting materials received by the published deadline will be considered by the Israel Brooks Foundation Scholarship Application Evaluation Committee.  Incomplete applications will not be considered.  See the Terms and Conditions below:

 

•    Your essay/Presentation will be graded based on a rubric (grammar, content, spelling, format, and theme)

•    Scores will be weighted with 80% on the written essay and 20% on your virtual interview

•    Virtual Interview dates will be determined at a later date

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Selection Process for Academic Scholarships

All completed applications accompanied by all required supporting materials will be reviewed by the Israel Brooks Foundation Scholarship Application Evaluation Committee to ensure that every applicant receives full consideration.  Applicants will be scored using a points system based on the quality of the content provided.  

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All decisions by the Israel Brooks Foundation Scholarship Application Evaluation Committee are final.

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Notice of Academic Scholarship Award

 

• Successful applicants will be awarded only one (1) Israel Brooks Foundation Scholarship per calendar year. 

• The scholarship will be split into two equal portions over the Fall and Spring semesters.  (A copy of your 2026 Fall semester transcript and your 2026 Spring schedule will be required to receive your 2027 Spring disbursement.)

• Initial notice to scholarship finalists will be sent to the email address provided on the application.  

• Israel Brooks Foundation will ask for the signature of promotional release and educational records release documents. The scholarship is not officially awarded until the finalists return the required documents.

• Final notice of awarded scholarships will be sent to each finalist via email and/or postal mail, where possible, after verification is complete.

• The scholarship payment will be made by check to the recipient. All academic scholarships shall be awarded for use in an academic degree-granting program in a college or university accredited by a nationally or regionally recognized accrediting agency, as defined by the United States Department of Education.

 

Awards for the academic year 2026-27  are as follows: 

 

Awards will be awarded to applicants who achieve the highest scores from the essay/PowerPoint presentation 

and panel interview.

*Graduating High School Seniors:  1st place - $2,500 | 2nd place - $2000 | 3rd place - $1500

*College Undergraduates:   1st place - $2,500 | 2nd place - $2000 | 3rd place - $1500

*Note:  Award amounts are divided equally between the Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 semesters

 

Deadline for submission is July 18, 2026, by 11:59 PM

 

Submit documents online to the www.ibrooksfoundation.com website

 

 

Israel Brooks Foundation offers scholarships in its sole and absolute discretion and contingent upon the availability of funds and continuation of the scholarship program.