SrA Terry (TJ) Sams Jr. Civil Engineering Scholarship
Senior Airman Terry “TJ” Sams Jr. was a rising Civil Engineer in the United States Air Force. Sadly, his career only lasted three years before he lost his life at the early age of twenty-seven years old due to domestic violence from someone he cared for and trusted.
TJ lived his life putting others before himself and was always there to help his friends. He was a high school basketball star, and upon finishing college at Troy State University, he devoted his time to coaching youth boys in AAU basketball to a national championship before joining the Air Force.
TJ was loved by all and made a big Impact in the1st Special Operations Civil Engineering Squadron at Hurlburt Field ABS, Florida, where he served as Geo Base Surveyor Specialist. Because of the higher education TJ received prior to joining the United States Air Force, he was able to excel in his career and gain promotions earlier than others.
This scholarship seeks to honor the legacy of SrA Sams by supporting students that share an interest in the Civil Engineering field of study.
Any undergraduate student enrolled in a 2 or 4 year college or university, seeking a degree in any of the several majors in the Civil Engineering field of study. High School students who are dual enrolled in colleges or universities as well as United States Air Force (USAF) personnel are also eligible.
To Apply: Write an essay to tell what degree you seeking and why? Are you planning on pursuing a career in the USAF or any other branch of military service? And what are your plans for a career after graduation.
Write an essay to tell what degree you seeking and why? Are you planning on pursuing a career in the USAF or any other branch of military service? And what are your plans for a career after graduation.
Winners and Finalists
April 2025
Winning Application
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FAQ
The application deadline is Jun 20, 2026. Winners will be announced on Jul 20, 2026.
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Award amounts per winner are designated by the donor. Check the award amount for a detailed breakdown.
The winner will be publicly announced on Jul 20, 2026. Prior to the announcement date, we may contact finalists with additional questions about their application. We will work with donors to review all applications according to the scholarship criteria. Winners will be chosen based on the merit of their application.
Award checks will be sent to the financial aid office of the winner's academic institution in their name to be applied to their tuition, and in the name of their institution (depending on the school's requirements). If the award is for a qualified educational non-tuition expense, we will work with the winner directly to distribute the award and make sure it goes towards qualified expenses.
Before we award the scholarship, the winner will be required to confirm their academic enrollment status. Depending on the circumstances, verification of Student ID and/or their most recent transcript will be required.
If you have any questions about this scholarship or the Bold.org platform, just email contact@bold.org and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.
Yes. The terms and conditions for this scholarship can be found here.
