AACUC X GUCU Dr. James Williams HBCU Scholarship
Scholarship Description
The African-American Credit Union Coalition and Georgia United Credit Union Foundation have teamed up to provide two $2,500 scholarships for students enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) aiming to support their academic pursuits. These scholarships are in honor of Dr. James Williams, Georgia United’s first African American board member.
Applicants must be enrolled as a full-time sophomore, junior, or senior at an accredited HBCU for the 2025-2026 academic year to be eligible. Persons applying for the Dr. James Williams scholarship must submit a completed questionnaire, an essay, one reference letter, and a copy of their unofficial transcript. You must have a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Scholarship applications are now closed for the year. Stay tuned.
Congratulations to the 2025 Scholarship Recipients
Kennedy Leach
Fort Valley State University
My name is Kennedy Leach, I am a sophomore marketing major at The Fort Valley State University, and I’m so grateful to have been awarded the Dr. James Williams HBCU Scholarship. This scholarship means a lot to me—it’s helping take some of the financial stress off my shoulders so I can stay focused on my classes, internships, and everything else that comes with college life. It’s a blessing to have this kind of support as I work toward my degree and future goals. Thank you again for believing in me!
Maya Oliver
Howard University
This scholarship will give me the opportunity to do something my parents never had the chance to do when they were my age, become the best version of myself. Without having to worry about how I will afford the small things. Being a woman of color is an obstacle within itself; and being an educated woman of color used to seem nearly impossible. This scholarship will give me the opportunity to show my sister and myself that living as a woman of color does not mean you have to settle for stereotypes and misconceptions or be limited to certain opportunities because of how or who you were raised by. With this scholarship, I will finally have a chance to thrive in a society that is expecting for me to fail.
About Dr. James Williams
Dr. Williams is the former Deputy Superintendent for Administration of DeKalb County Schools and has also held positions as a Teacher, Principal, and Area Director in the DeKalb County School System. Dr. Williams completed his undergraduate studies at Alabama State University before earning his Master's and Ed.S. degrees from Georgia State University, followed by a Doctorate degree from Clark Atlanta University.
Dr. Williams has been a member of Georgia United Credit Union since 1971. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 1997 and has served Georgia United in many roles during his tenure, including Vice Chair, Secretary, and as a member of the Credit Committee and Asset & Liability Committee.
If you have any additional questions about the scholarship, Please contact Tre'Vaughn Allen at tallen@aacuc.org .