WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On July 16, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, the Nation's oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to military children, will host its annual National Scholarship Announcement Ceremony in Washington, D.C. At the Ceremony, the Scholarship Foundation will announce a record scholarship number as it awards more than $6,500,000 in scholarship funding to 2,040 children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen in the upcoming 2013-2014 academic year.
More than 40 scholarship recipients will attend the Ceremony to represent the upcoming class of recipients across the country. Award-winning journalist and ABC7/WJLA-TV news anchor Leon Harris will serve as the evening’s emcee. Lieutenant General Robert E. Milstead USMC, Deputy Commandant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, will be the evening’s military guest of honor.
The Scholarship Foundation honors the selfless service of Marines by educating their children, with particular attention given to those whose parent has been killed or wounded in combat and those who have demonstrated financial need. More than 50 percent of scholarship recipients are first-generation college students, and 45 percent study STEM (science, engineering, technology, and math).
Since its inception in 1962, the Scholarship Foundation has grown in equal step to meet the needs of America’s Marine families. This year’s awards represent an 11 percent increase in total scholarship award amount from the previous year. In 51 years, the Scholarship Foundation has awarded over 30,000 scholarships to the children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen, valued at over $80,000,000. Scholarships are used to attend accredited colleges and universities, vocational schools, or technical training programs.
“We help educate the next generation of leaders, fulfilling a critical need for America,” said Margaret B. Davis, President and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation. “With these scholarships, our donors are honoring the sacrifices of our Nation's Marines as well as securing a strong future for our country."
The Scholarship Foundation is supported by thousands of individuals and corporations across the country, who invest in scholarships as a way to thank America’s Marine families for their service and support a future generation of leaders. For the third year in a row, Hewlett-Packard will sponsor the Scholarship Foundation’s Scholarship Announcement Ceremonies by donating HP products to students in attendance.
About the Scholarship Foundation: Established more than 50 years ago, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation is the Nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships for military children. Since its inception, the Scholarship Foundation has provided more than 30,000 scholarships valued at over $80,000,000 to the children of Marines who have been killed or wounded in combat or have demonstrated financial need. The Scholarship Foundation has been rated “20 out of 20” on the Better Business Bureau's Standards for Charity Accountability and is proud to have been named by Independent Charities of America as “Best in America” for demonstrating “the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness.” For more information on the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, please visit http://www.mcsf.org/.
