Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Awards $7 Million in New Scholarships

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Jul 23, 2015, 08:18 ET

ALEXANDRIA,Va., July 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, the Nation's oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to military children, announced it will award 2,300 scholarships, valued at nearly $7 million to children of Marine and Navy Corpsmen for the upcoming 2015-2016 academic year. With nearly $100 million in awards and over 35,000 scholarships awarded, this marks the Foundation's 53^rd year of scholarship support.

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 representing what the Foundation considers, our best investment in America's future, while addressing the challenges these scholarships help Marine families overcome.

"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.

"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 Andrew Arencibia, scholarship recipient, Georgia Institute of technology major 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 a spirit of service, the Foundation's scholars outpace the national average; 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.

Boeing is supporting this year's scholarship announcement ceremonies, also held at Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton, and has invested in these future leaders for over 12 years. In that time Boeing has been a leading contributor to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation with over $4 million in donations to date.

About the Scholarship Foundation: Established in 1962 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 over 35,000 scholarships valued at nearly $100 million to the children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen. For more information on the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, please visit http://www.mcsf.org/.

CONTACT: Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation
Christian Garland
[email protected]
202.944.5109

SOURCE Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation