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MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

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CBSMF Scholarship Information for 2027*
 

Background 

The mission of the Charles B. Staats Memorial Foundation is to inspire and empower high school seniors to become future leaders and active members of their community by serving as swim coaches to youth and adults in their communities.  

About the scholarship

The Charles B. Staats Memorial Foundation (CBSMF) Scholarship is awarded annually to a graduating high school senior who is a *team swim coach. 

The CBSMF Scholarship was specifically created to honor the love of coaching and acknowledge the importance of coaching in a swimmer's life.  CBSMF believes that the focus, dedication and hard work required by coaching translates to focus, dedication and success in other areas of life. The scholarship will be awarded to a well-rounded student who maintains a 3.0 GPA and shows leadership in the community. 

Most of all, we want a student who loves being a swim coach! 


The CBSMF Scholarship award may be used towards the costs of: tuition, books, room and board and mandatory school fees.  The Scholarship will be eligible for renewal each year in the same amount awarded in year 1, for up to a maximum of 4 years, contingent upon the student meeting the Board's annual conditions as outlined in the executed Annual Scholarship Agreement with student.  The anticipated award for 2027 is estimated to be $4,000.00 per year.**

 *Please Note: We love our individual swim instructors! However, we are looking for coaches who have worked in a team setting, as this requires a further set of skills in addition to individualized instruction.

**last updated 7/13/2026; Amount of the 2027 Annual Scholarship Award will be determined at the CBSMF Board of Directors at its meeting in June of 2027; the amount of $4,000.00/year is the approved award amount for the 2026 Scholarship

 
Application Criteria and Required Submittals*** important please read before submitting your application:

  1. Completed Application and all attachments submitted through Scholarsapp.com
  2.  High School Minimum GPA of 3.0 (unweighted)
  3. Team Swim coach experience for at least 2 years (must be a team swim coach the summer after high school graduation). Please note that a swim instructor and/or lifeguard does not alone qualify an applicant for this scholarship.  This scholarship requires coaching on a team either as a head coach or assistant coach.  This scholarship requires swim team management including swim meet attendance and other team responsibilities.  Applicant must list specific coaching responsibilities. Applicant must identify name of team and telephone number and email address of a management representative on the team. CBS reserves the right to reach out and talk or send an email to this person about applicant’s responsibilities as coach.
  4. One swimming reference letter (no family members please) This letter must be submitted in order to be considered for the scholarship.
  5. One other reference letter (no family members please)
  6. Official Copy of SAT/ACT scores (we will accept applications without this submittal but we do continue to require it and it is in our scoring process, although, it represents a small fraction of the total points scored on the application.  if applicant does not take the ACT/SAT, applicant should  submit a statement stating this fact with proof from the school.
  7. Official Copy of final high school transcript (interim transcript is acceptable at time of application if final official transcript is not available, but no award will be issued without a final transcript.
  8. Proof of Acceptance to an accredited 4-year college or university.


***NOTE: APPLICANTS MAY BE ASKED TO SUBMIT ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IN THE EVENT THE BOARD NEEDS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO MAKE ITS FINAL DECISION


Selection Process Timeline

January 1          Applications Accepted


May 31                Final Application Acceptance Date. NO LATE OR INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER                                 May 31, 2027, 5 p.m. eastern time. NO EXCEPTIONS


July 25               All Applicants will be notified of the Board's decision


* Amount of the 2027 Annual Scholarship Award will be determined at the CBSMF Board of Directors meeting in June of 2027;  the amount of $4,000/year is the anticipated award amount for the 2027 Scholarship. 


(Information Updated 7/14/2026 )