The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation is the nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen, with particular attention given to those whose parent has been killed or wounded in combat, or who have demonstrated financial need.
Since 1962, our mission has been simple: To Honor Marines by Educating Their Children. During this time, we’ve awarded more than 27,000 scholarships, totaling $67,000,000.
As the average cost of a public four-year college education reaches close to $20,000 a year, and the effects of a long war with multiple deployments take their toll, our number of applicants grows by approximately 20% each year.
Your donation is a secure investment: 46% of our scholarship recipients will be the first in their family to receive a bachelor’s degree, 70% maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and an impressive 79% of our scholarship recipients graduate with their bachelor’s degree.
With your help, and the support of committed and faithful Americans like you, we will continue to meet the increasing needs of our Marine families for generations to come.
Meet Staff Sergeant Stuart Ablaza USMCR
Staff Sergeant Stuart Ablaza USMCR, a veteran of the Global War on Terrorism, proudly sent his own daughter off to college this year. SSgt Ablaza has served with distinction, receiving numerous medals and commendations for his honorable service on behalf of our great Nation, including:
- Navy ACH Medal (Nam)
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
- Marine Corps Reserve Medal
- National Defense Medal
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
- War on Terrorism Service Medal
- Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/Hourglass
- Meritorious Unit Citation Ribbon
- Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
- Marine Corps Recruiting Ribbon
Meet SSgt Ablaza’s daughter and 2012 scholarship recipient: Marcella
Marcella Ablaza is currently a sophomore at The Art Institute of California-San Francisco, where she is currently enrolled in the short baking and pastry associated program. In the future, she is considering pursuing her bachelor’s in management or nutrition. Her extracurricular activities include running, hiking, and spending time at the beach.
“The Marine Corps has influenced my life by just showing me that there endless amounts of options in life, and if you want to do something and work hard you can succeed and achieve anything you want.”