USA Scholarships
Partial Funding Undergraduate the USA

Mary Mouzon Darby Scholarship 2027 - Huguenot SC

Deadline December 31, 2026 (for the following award year) 100 days left · Hosted by Huguenot Society of South Carolina · Published

The Mary Mouzon Darby Undergraduate Scholarship from the Huguenot Society of South Carolina honors a longtime member who never attended college herself but preserved her family''s French Protestant lineage. Miss Betty-Ann Darby endowed the $1,000 award for Huguenot descendants who are Society members or the child, grandchild, niece, or nephew of a current member. You must be enrolled or accepted at an accredited college or university. Submit a three-page double-spaced essay with footnotes, a lineage sheet, and a separate cover sheet with contact information by December 31. Do not put your name inside the essay body. Preference goes to qualified first-year students. Awards are announced in April and sent to institutions in May.

Per scholarship awarded
$1,000
Accredited college
Undergraduate
Application deadline
Dec 31
Member or family
Huguenot line
How to apply Am I eligible? Official website

What is the Mary Mouzon Darby Scholarship?

Mary Mouzon Darby grew up in Georgetown, South Carolina, traced Mouzon Huguenots who fled France in the 1700s, and spent decades in the Huguenot Society of South Carolina without ever sitting in a college classroom. Her daughter Betty-Ann Darby turned that story into a $1,000 scholarship for descendants who can prove the same courage in writing.

You need more than a GPA brag sheet. The Society wants a three-page, double-spaced essay with footnotes that introduces your ancestor, explains what Huguenot history means to you, and closes with how the award would help your studies. Keep your name off the essay itself so reviewers read blind. Pair the essay with a lineage sheet and a cover sheet that holds your contact information.

Membership rules are tight. You must be a Society member or the child, grandchild, niece, or nephew of a current member, and you must be headed to an accredited college. First-year students get preference, but the fund has supported sophomores and juniors when the writing stood out. Submit by December 31, listen for April announcements at the Anniversary Meeting, and expect the check to land at your registrar in May. For the graduate-level research prize, see the Huguenot Society SC Graduate Scholarship 2027. Full criteria are on the Mary Mouzon Darby scholarship page.

Who can apply

Eligibility

Your progress 0 / 6
  • ✓
    Huguenot descent with Society connection
    You must be of Huguenot descent and either a member of the Huguenot Society of South Carolina or the child, grandchild, niece, or nephew of a current member.
  • ✓
    Enrolled or accepted at accredited college
    You must be enrolled in or accepted to an accredited institute of higher learning. The Society sends payment directly to the institution rather than to personal accounts.
  • ✓
    First-year preference
    The Society gives preference to qualified applicants entering their first year of college. Returning undergraduates may still apply if they meet lineage and essay rules.
  • ✓
    Anonymous essay body
    Your three-page essay must not include your name or immediate family names in the text itself. Identifying information belongs only on the cover sheet.
  • ✓
    Nationwide campus eligibility
    Recent recipients have attended schools from South Carolina to California and Mississippi. Residency is not limited to Charleston, but lineage and membership rules are strict.
  • ✓
    Timely December 31 submission
    Complete packets must be submitted by December 31 to be considered for the following year. Late materials miss the committee cycle.
What you get

Benefits

  • Cash scholarship $1,000 per recipient
  • Disbursement Paid directly to institution
  • Announcement April Anniversary Meeting
  • Payment timing May to college
  • Full tuition coverage Not covered
  • Graduate study Undergraduate fund only
What to prepare

Document checklist

Documents gathered 0 / 5
  • ✓
    Three-page heritage essay with footnotes
    Double-spaced essay with footnotes covering a biographical sketch of your Huguenot ancestor, what the heritage means to you, scholastic achievements, and how the scholarship would help. No names inside the essay.
  • ✓
    Lineage sheet
    Provide an accurate lineage sheet tracing descent to the Huguenot ancestor named in your essay. Genealogy must match Society standards.
  • ✓
    Cover sheet with contact information
    Separate cover sheet with your name, address, phone, email, and college details. This is the only place your identifying information should appear.
  • ✓
    Online or mailed submission packet
    Follow the Society submission link on huguenotsociety.org/mmd for the current cycle. Confirm whether the portal or mail is required before you send materials.
  • ✓
    Proof of college acceptance or enrollment
    Be ready to show acceptance or enrollment at an accredited institution so the Society can disburse funds to your school in May.
Step by step

How to apply

Verify you qualify through your own Society membership or through a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle who is a current member.
Use Society records and family papers to draft a biographical sketch you can support with footnotes.
Double-space the text, add footnotes, and keep names out of the essay body. Summarize scholastic achievements and explain how $1,000 would help your college plan.
Document each generation between you and the ancestor. Accuracy matters because the committee compares essay claims to the sheet.
List contact information and college acceptance details on the cover sheet only.
Use the official submission link on the Mary Mouzon Darby page. Allow time for uploads or mailing before the cutoff.
Scholarships are awarded and announced in April at the Society Annual Anniversary Meeting. Confirm payment to your school in May.
When

Deadline and timeline

Application deadline
December 31, 2026 (for the following award year)
100 days left
Year-round
Research Huguenot ancestors and gather lineage documentation.
Fall 2026
Draft essay, lineage sheet, and cover sheet for blind review.
Dec 31, 2026
Deadline for packets to be considered for the following year.
Early 2027
Society committee reviews essays and lineage materials.
April 2027
Scholarships announced at the Annual Anniversary Meeting.
May 2027
Payments sent directly to accredited institutions.
Questions

FAQ

What is the Mary Mouzon Darby Undergraduate Scholarship?

It is a $1,000 Huguenot Society of South Carolina award for undergraduate Huguenot descendants who are members or eligible family of members. The fund honors Mary Mouzon Darby, a Society genealogist who never attended college herself.

Who can apply for the Mary Mouzon Darby scholarship?

Applicants must be of Huguenot descent and either a Society member or the child, grandchild, niece, or nephew of a current member. You must be enrolled or accepted at an accredited college or university.

How long should the Mary Mouzon Darby essay be?

The essay must be three pages, double-spaced, with footnotes. It should profile your Huguenot ancestor, explain what the heritage means to you, note scholastic achievements, and describe how the scholarship would help.

Why can't I put my name in the Mary Mouzon Darby essay?

The Society uses blind review for the essay body. Put your name and contact details only on the separate cover sheet so reviewers judge the writing without bias.

When is the Mary Mouzon Darby scholarship deadline?

Application packets must be submitted by December 31 to be considered for the following year. Awards are announced in April and paid to schools in May.

How much is the Mary Mouzon Darby scholarship worth?

Each scholarship is $1,000. The Society may award multiple recipients in strong years, as shown in recent announcement posts on huguenotsociety.org.

Do I need to live in South Carolina to win?

No. Recent winners attended colleges in South Carolina, California, Mississippi, and other states. You need qualifying Huguenot lineage and the required Society membership connection, not state residency.

How is the Mary Mouzon Darby award different from the Huguenot Society graduate scholarship?

The Mary Mouzon Darby fund serves undergraduate Huguenot descendants with a personal heritage essay and lineage sheet. The separate graduate scholarship targets history graduate students with a scholarly research paper on Huguenot topics.

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