Seabee Memorial Scholarship Association reaches $2 million milestone to provide scholarships for Military Children

ARLINGTON, Va., July 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, we are proud to announce that the Seabee Memorial Scholarship Association (SMSA) has achieved a record-breaking milestone in contributions and pledges towards its Seabee Can Do Legacy Campaign. 

With a $100,000 donation from AECOM, SMSA's campaign has reached $2 million, which will permit SMSA to expand the number and amount of scholarships awarded annually. The Legacy Campaign seeks to raise $7 million by 2019.

SMSA is the nation's only provider of scholarships to the children and grandchildren of America's Navy Seabees and Civil Engineer Corps service members, and has provided over 2,800 scholarship awards totaling $4.6 million since 1972. 

Scholarship applicant need continues to outpace the available scholarship funds. For 2016, more than 254 scholarship applications were unfunded. 

As college costs continue to outpace military family salaries, scholarship awards are critical to the children and grandchildren of Seabees and Civil Engineer Corps Officers and their ability to afford college without incurring burdensome debt.  Recipient families include honorably discharged, active duty, retired, wounded and killed in action Seabee and Civil Engineer Corps Officers.

"Our Legacy Campaign, supported with gifts from corporate partners like AECOM, ensures that SMSA will be able to support more scholars with larger financial awards for generations to come.  The Association's scholarships develop the nation's future workforce and reward those young scholars who embody the character and academic values needed to lead in the globally competitive economy," said CAPT Kurt Sisson, CEC, USN (Ret), SMSA President.  

SMSA scholarship recipients perform above national education performance levels:

• 50 percent are pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
• 80 percent of scholarship recipients graduate in four-years, compared to 39 percent national graduate rate

On September 20, 2016, SMSA will hold its inaugural Building America's Future Gala in Washington, D.C. to recognize scholarship recipients, industry leaders and General John Allen, USMC (Ret.)

About the Seabee Memorial Scholarship Association: The Seabee Memorial Scholarship Association is the nation's only provider of need-based scholarships for the children and grandchildren of individuals who have served with America's fighting Seabees and the Civil Engineer Corps (CEC).  SMSA has awarded over 2,800 scholarship awards totaling $4.6 million since 1972.  For more information on the Seabee Memorial Scholarship Association, visit www.seabee.org.  

SOURCE Seabee Memorial Scholarship Association

Related Links

http://www.seabee.org