Programs

GOAL

The goal of the Carr Family Foundation Scholarship is to enable high school graduates from Dickson and Hickman counties to pursue a college education at a four year college or university. The recipients will be selected using the process and criteria outlined below, with special consideration given to applicants who have overcome personal hardships and developed qualities that, strengthened by higher education, can make an important, constructive, and positive difference, both in the life of the individual and in the world. In addition to a strong academic and extracurricular record, successful applicants must demonstrate understanding of their college financial need and aggressive personal effort to find ways to meet that need. In general, scholarships will not be awarded to applicants who have adequate family resources or other sufficient financial aid to attend college.

All scholarships will be awarded without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, religious preference, or sexual orientation, and will be awarded on the basis of objective criteria assuring that all participants in the selection process are free of family or other conflicts of interest that would affect the objectivity of the process. No directors or officers, or their family members, of the Carr Family Foundation shall be eligible, nor shall donors or other IRS defined Disqualified Persons or their family members.

An applicant must be a current high school student or recent graduate of either Dickson or Hickman County. Home schooled applicants from these counties will be considered. Applicants must have at least a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 point scale (or its equivalent), and will be required to submit their ACT scores. We will give high priority to students with the necessary foundation for succeeding in college, which we define as an ACT score above 21, a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and an academic ranking in the top quarter of the class.

Scholarship applicants shall first be nominated by one or more members of the faculty at their respective high schools. Those nominated must then complete the Carr Family Foundation Scholarship Application and submit a copy of their completed FAFSA Application, high school transcript, and a second letter of recommendation (in addition to that written by the nominating faculty member) from someone other than a teacher (e.g. an employer, a church pastor, volunteer coordinator, etc.). While only two letters of recommendation  (one of which is the faculty nomination) are required, applicants are welcome to submit additional letters of recommendation. Completed applications shall be reviewed by the Selection Committee (one for each county), appointed by the Board of the Carr Family Foundation and made up of at least three, but not more than five individuals. A majority of the Selection Committee shall not be residents of the county from which they review applications. The Selection Committee will interview as many finalists as it chooses, then present its recommendation to the Board for the recipient(s) of the scholarship.

In nominating and considering applicants, committee members shall consider scholastic achievement, obvious financial need, any history of overcoming particular personal or family hardships, and qualities of leadership and citizenship (including community service).

Scholarship award recipients may attend a four-year college of their choice. The college must be accredited, and the course of study must be one leading to a Bachelors degree.

The Akers Memorial Scholarship was created to honor the memory of Jacob Akers, a 2010 graduate of Creekwood High School who earned a Carr Family Foundation Scholarship during each of his four years at David Lipscomb University. Jacob was killed in a car accident soon after his graduation from David Lipscomb in 2014. He had been admitted to and planned to attend medical school. His dedication to helping others, compassion, and work ethic have been an inspiration to many, including the members of our own family.

Not long before his death, Jacob had told his parents that he hoped, later in life, to create a scholarship program of his own. We know that he would have achieved that goal, and we are pleased to be able to offer this scholarship in his memory.

The Jacob Akers Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior at Creekwood High School and is for an annual amount of $1,000. The scholarship is awarded to a student who plans to pursue a career in the medical field. It is renewable annually for up to four years, subject to availability of funds. Renewal requires the submission of a transcript, maintenance of at least a 2.5 GPA, and a brief statement of course of study, career plans, and financial need.

In general, the scholarship is subject to the same process and timeline as other Carr Family Foundation Scholarships. It will, however, require applicants to be nominated by a designated member of the faculty at Creekwood High School, and to answer the following question as the essay submission rather than the essay question contained in the standard application:

Why are you planning to pursue a career in the field of medicine? Who have been your role models for this choice? 

By completing the Carr Family Foundation application, you will automatically be considered for other Carr Family Foundation scholarships as well.

For more information on the Jacob Akers Memorial Scholarship, please contact Greg Grimsley, Creekwood High School Guidance Counselor.

Subject to availability of funding, scholarship recipients are eligible for renewal of their original scholarship amounts for up to three additional years of college. To be eligible for renewal, applicants must have a 2.5 GPA, and must mail or email their college transcript along with a letter outlining their course of study and ongoing financial need to the Carr Family Foundation by July 1st of each year. The Carr Family Foundation will consider on a case-by-case basis the awarding of funds for a fifth year of college. The Carr Family Foundation will also consider on a case-by-case basis an increase in the amount awarded after the first year upon receipt of a detailed statement of financial position and need by the applicant.

The Foundation requests that each reward recipient send a written report to the Foundation at the time of graduation from college stating:

1. the recipient’s course of study, including any postgraduate study,
2. the recipient’s employment, and
3. the recipient’s plans for the future.

Alternatively, the Foundation will invite each graduate to participate in an exit survey to report on these items.

While applicants are typically current students at the public high schools in Dickson and Hickman Counties, the Carr Family Foundation welcomes applications from non-traditional candidates, including,

• Home-schooled students residing in Dickson and Hickman Counties.
• Graduates of Dickson or Hickman Counties high schools who have taken time off to work or attend a two-year college before entering a four year program.
• Also, students who utilize the Tennessee Promise program to attend a two-year college with the intent of transferring to a four year college, while not eligible for a current grant, may submit an application for a scholarship to be awarded in two years, conditional on the successful completion of a two-year academic program and enrollment in a four year college.
• Finally, we will consider applications from students who graduated from high school in Dickson and Hickman Counties and are currently enrolled in four-year college programs but did not apply as high school seniors.

Completed applications must be submitted to the Carr Family Foundation by filling out the application online by Friday, March 4, 2022. You can also email a pdf of the application to email@carrfamilyfoundation.org. Finalist interviews will take place the week of April 11th, with the announcement of awards on or before April 29, 2022.