The Charlottesville Area Community Foundation and Fluvanna County High School is pleased to announce the availability of the Paul W. Bragg Scholarship Fund application. Established by Bragg’s will, and managed by the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, the scholarship is meant “to provide undergraduate college assistance based on both need and merit to graduates of Fluvanna County High School.” The Paul W. Bragg Scholarship Fund Advisory Committee was formed to develop the eligibility rules, to develop the number of scholarships to be awarded in a given year and the amounts, to develop the application and submission procedures including deadlines, and to develop a brochure to publicize this scholarship fund.

Bragg was a lifelong resident of Fluvanna County, Virginia. He was born in Fluvanna in 1916 and lived his entire life in the family home at 1710 Middle Ford Road, where he died at age 87 on Oct. 9, 2003. Bragg was a hard-working farmer, and he saved and invested wisely during his long life. He bequeathed the bulk of his considerable estate to the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation and directed the foundation to establish a scholarship fund to benefit young people graduating from Fluvanna County High School.

The Charlottesville Area Community Foundation and the Paul W. Bragg Scholarship Fund Advisory Committee are dedicated to carrying out Bragg’s wishes in perpetuity. The foundation manages the Bragg Scholarship Fund as part of its permanent endowment and each year notifies the committee as to how much income is available to provide for scholarships in that year. The committee then selects recipients from among that year’s applicants. In the six years since its establishment, this scholarship fund has awarded a total amount of $328,000 to 32 students in support of their continuing education after high school. These recipients’ have attended James Madison University, Lynchburg College, Mary Washington, Piedmont Virginia Community College, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University, the College of William and Mary and Longwood University.

This year $103,000 will be available in scholarship money to members of the Class of 2012. One $40,000 scholarship, six $10,000 scholarships and one $3,000 scholarship will be announced at the awards night in May 2012. Applications and scholarship requirements will be available in the Fluvanna County High School Career Center beginning Jan. 20. The deadline for receipt of completed application materials is March 30 at 3 p.m. and should be sent to: Mary Bright, Fluvanna County High School, 3717 Central Plains Road, Palmyra, VA 22963.