The Jim & Millie Briley Scholarship Fund

Scholarship Introduction

Jim and Millie Briley were born and raised in rural North Carolina. Their families were very poor. Both of them had to quit school in order to help with the farm and household work. When he was of age, Jim joined the USAF. While on leave, they were married. Jim was sent to Hawaii twenty days later. After six months, Jim borrowed money in order for Millie to join him there. While living in Hawaii, Jim decided to change career fields within the USAF. He applied and was accepted into the Information Services career field.

Jim was able to complete high school and attempted to go to college. That proved to be virtually impossible because every time he enrolled in a college course, he was sent somewhere on temporary duty. Of course, he had to drop out of the course and start over again. Millie was able to complete her high school.

After twelve years, Jim decided to leave the USAF and moved to Fort Worth, Texas. He got a job with a wholesale food distributor. He was able to attend college at night and earned his degree. After seven years he resigned his job and got a job in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a regional retail grocery company.

Jim enjoyed a very prosperous career and rose to the position of vice president. Eventually, he left the retail grocery company and worked as a computer consultant where he designed and implemented an integrated case management system to run at the county Social Services Department. The system was very successful.

Jim and Millie recognized the importance of education and wanted to help other struggling individuals in their pursuit of a formal education. Because they were so incredibly blessed, in May of 1997, they established the Jim and Millie Briley Endowment Fund in order to share some of their success. Proceeds from this endowment are used to fund the Jim and Millie Briley Scholarship Fund.

The Jim and Millie Scholarship Fund provides two scholarship grants each year. One is for a ministerial student and the second is for an under resourced student. In any given year, a student may only apply for one of these grants. If an application is received for both of the scholarship grants from the same student in a given year, both applications will be discarded.

Ministerial Candidates

I.    APPLICANTS

  1. Be a citizen or legal resident of the United States.
  2. Must be of the evangelical Protestant faith or background.
  3. Be committed to preparing for full-time Christian ministry.
  4. Be accepted for full-time enrollment in a degree program at any institution of higher education. (“Full-time” is as defined by the educational institution where the student plans to attend.)
  5. Be a member of a local church associated with the Metrolina Baptist Association, Charlotte, NC.
  6. Exhibit consistent academic achievements.
  7. Submit two current letters of reference (cannot be from relatives.) One letter must be from your pastor.  If your pastor is related to you, please submit a letter of reference from another pastoral staff person at the church.
  8. Submit a copy of your most recent transcript available.  An unofficial copy will be accepted.
  9. Submit a copy of your FAFSA Electronic Student Aid Report (SAR) to establish a definite need for financial assistance. Please make sure that we can see your full name and your Expected Family Contribution (EFC).  IMPORTANT:  If your report information is incomplete, then your application will be disregarded.  You may use your prior year’s report so long as the expiration date has not passed.  If you are planning to apply and submit a current year form, please allow up to FIVE business days to receive the SAR report from FASFA.  We will not accept late information due to poor planning.
  10. Applications must be filed by the applicant at the Metrolina Baptist Association website (www.metrolina.org) between the dates of January 1 and the close of business on February 15 of each year to the Metrolina Baptist Scholarship Committee.  NO EXEPTIONS WILL BE MADE.  Close of business is 5 p.m.

II.   RECIPIENT

  1. Shall have a definite need for financial assistance.
  2. Shall have met entrance requirements and be accepted by a post-secondary institution (college, university, technical/community college).
  3. Exhibits high moral character, dedication to family, church and community.

III.  SCHOLARSHIP GUIDELINES

  1. Be awarded on an annual basis. Scholarships are not automatically renewed. Students must apply each year to be considered for scholarship assistance. Scholarships can be awarded for a maximum of four years during undergraduate studies and a maximum of three years during graduate studies.
  2. Be awarded to recipients who are enrolled in a full-time degree program.
  3. Will be paid to school of choice and not to recipient, but may be delivered to recipient for him/her to deposit with his/her school.  The entire amount of the scholarship funds will be available for the fall semester only.
  4. Consideration of applicants shall be completed by March 31 of each year.  Recipient shall be informed by April 15 of each year.  Scholarship awards shall be distributed to recipients’ colleges/universities no later than May 31 of each year.
  5. The Scholarship Committee is authorized to make final decisions on scholarship recipients.
  6. The Metrolina Baptist Scholarship Committee reserves the right to make no grant in any one year should there be no applicant who, in the opinion of the committee, qualifies according to all requirements of these guidelines.  In such event, the committee will advise the North Carolina Baptist Foundation, and may (1) elect to retain the amount available for award in the endowment to be used for awards in the following years, or (2) direct that the amount available for awards in any one year be added to the Jim and Millie Briley Endowment Fund corpus.
  7. In the event that the Metrolina Baptist Association ceases to exist or decides to no longer retain the name of the Jim & Millie Briley Scholarship Fund in association with this scholarship fund, The North Carolina Baptist Foundation, Inc., will be informed and the funds from the Jim & Millie Briley Endowment Fund shall be directed in the manner directed in the agreement with The NC Baptist Foundation.

Under-Resourced Candidates

I.    APPLICANTS

  1. Be a citizen or legal resident of the United States.
  2. Be accepted for full-time enrollment in a degree program at any institution of higher education. (“Full-time” is as defined by the educational institution where the student plans to attend.)
  3. Exhibit consistent academic achievements.
  4. Submit two current letters of reference (cannot be from relatives.) One letter from a teacher or guidance counselor.  It is required that all referenced letters be signed.
  5. Submit a copy of your most recent transcript available.  An unofficial copy will be accepted.
  6. Submit a copy of your FAFSA Electronic Student Aid Report (SAR) to establish a definite need for financial assistance. Please make sure that we can see your full name and your Expected Family Contribution (EFC).  IMPORTANT:  If your report information is incomplete, then your application will be disregarded.  You may use your prior year’s report so long as the expiration date has not passed.  If you are planning to apply and submit a current year form, please allow up to FIVE business days to receive the SAR report from FASFA.  We will not accept late information due to poor planning.
  7. Submit application by the close of business on February 15 of each year to the Metrolina Baptist Scholarship Committee.  NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE.  Close of business is 5 p.m.
  8. Applications must be filed by the applicant at the Metrolina Baptist Association website between the dates of January 1 and the close of business on February 15 of each year to the Metrolina Baptist Scholarship Committee.  NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE.  Close of business is 5 p.m.

II.   RECIPIENT

  1. For the purpose of consideration of this scholarship, an “under resourced” candidate is one who requires temporary or ongoing financial intervention in order to succeed academically.
  2. Shall have a definite need for financial assistance.
  3. Shall have met entrance requirements and be accepted by a post-secondary institution (college, university, technical/community college).
  4. Exhibits high moral character, dedication to family, and community.

III.  SCHOLARSHIP GUIDELINES

  1. Be awarded on an annual basis. Scholarships are not automatically renewed. Students must apply each year to be considered for scholarship assistance. Scholarships can be awarded for a maximum of four years during undergraduate studies and a maximum of three years during graduate studies.
  2. Be awarded to recipients who are enrolled in a full-time degree program.
  3. Will be paid to school of choice and not to recipient, but may be delivered to recipient for him/her to deposit with his/her school.  The entire amount of the scholarship funds will be available for the fall semester only.
  4. Consideration of applicants shall be completed by March 31 of each year.  Recipient shall be informed by April 15 of each year.  Scholarship awards shall be distributed to recipients’ colleges/universities no later than May 31 of each year.
  5. The Metrolina Baptist Scholarship Committee is authorized to make final decisions on scholarship recipients.
  6. The Metrolina Baptist Scholarship Committee reserves the right to make no grant in any one year should there be no applicant who, in the opinion of the committee, qualifies according to all requirements of these guidelines.  In such event, the committee will advise the North Carolina Baptist Foundation, and may (1) elect to retain the amount available for award in the endowment to be used for awards in the following years, or (2) direct that the amount available for awards in any one year be added to the Jim and Millie Briley Endowment Fund corpus.
  7. In the event that the Metrolina Baptist Association ceases to exist or decides to no longer retain the name of the Jim & Millie Briley Scholarship Fund in association with this scholarship fund, The North Carolina Baptist Foundation, Inc., will be informed and the funds from the Jim & Millie Briley Endowment Fund shall be directed in the manner directed in the agreement with The NC Baptist Foundation.