$ 7 Million in Awards Sets Historic Year of Scholarship
The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, the Nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to military children, announced it will award, an historic, 2,300 scholarships, valued at nearly $7 million to children of Marine and Navy Corpsmen for the upcoming 2015-2016 academic year. In our 53rd year of Honoring Marines by Educating their Children, we’ve now awarded nearly $100 million through 35,000 scholarships.
Headlined by Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., USMC, the record-setting total was announced at an awards ceremony for this year’s recipients at the Home of the Commandants at Marine Barracks Washington. During the ceremony, attendees celebrated the achievements of a new class of scholars while addressing the challenges facing Marine families in the next decade
“Marines have always been the first to fight and now it’s our time to meet the fight for this generation of Marine children head on,” said Margaret B. Davis, President and CEO, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. “We have promises to keep, lives to impact, and nothing short of America’s future to shape. The need has never been greater and your support has never meant more for our troops their families and our entire country,”
Within the next decade, more than 100,000 children of Marines will reach college age, and as the cost of higher education continues to outpace the average military family’s income, thousands of children face the prospect of being priced out of an education. Future leaders like Andrew Arencibia, who addressed attendees to this year’s East Coast Ceremony.
“The Scholarship Foundation has taught me a valuable lesson in the importance of learning and growing not only in the classroom, but also in leadership, service, and faith,” said Georgia Tech junior, who’s majoring in Biomedical Engineering, and son of Gunnery Sergeant Freddy Arencibia Jr. “Being awarded this scholarship has helped to relieve the financial burden associated with attending a four year institution and allowed me to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor. I am forever grateful.”
Raised on Marine values and the spirit of Semper Fidelis, the Foundation’s scholars outpace national averages; with an 80% graduation rate overall, 50% among first-generation students, and over 45% enrolled in STEM and health science fields. Results that put this class of scholars on the front lines of America’s future.