Navy Offers Scholarships for Alaska Residents

The Navy is offering scholarships to dependents of Navy, Marine and Coast Guard members who are residents of Alaska.

The Alaska Sea Services Scholarship awards up to four $1,000 scholarships annually for undergraduate education to dependent children and spouses of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel who legally claim Alaska as their state of residence.

During World War II, citizens of Alaska raised funds for a $10,000 war bond as a gift to the USS Juneau (CL 52). After the ship sank, this gift was to have been presented to the USS Alaska (CB 1), but that ship was decommissioned before the presentation. So the governor of the territory of Alaska and the secretary of the Navy agreed that the bond would be left on deposit in the First National Bank of Juneau until the Alaska was recommissioned or another appropriate application could be found.

The Juneau was the ship on which the famous Sullivan brothers and 682 other men died during the battle of Guadalcanal.

In 1986, the Navy established the Alaska Sea Services fund to award scholarships from the original gift.

"Alaskan citizens originally gathered these funds for the light cruiser USS Juneau; however, the ship was sunk at the Battle of Guadalcanal before the gift could be presented," said Ryan Donaldson, Navy League senior vice president for business operations. "What better way to honor the memory of Juneau sailors than by helping educate Alaska's future?"

To be considered, an applicant must be the dependent (child or spouse) of a legal resident of the state of Alaska who is, or was at the time of death/designation as missing-in-action, a regular or reserve U.S. Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard member on active duty, inactive duty, or retired with or without pay.

Applicants must also show acceptance at an accredited college or university for full-time undergraduate study for a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.

Selected candidates will be those who rate highest in five key areas:

1. Academic proficiency
2. Character
3. Leadership ability
4. Community involvement
5. Financial need

A selection board will be held by the Navy League Foundation. The selected nominee packages will then be submitted to Naval Education and Training Command for final approval, after which selectees will be notified and scholarship funds will be disbursed to the appropriate academic institution.

No more than two scholarship awards may be given to any individual.

Scholarship applications will be accepted from Oct. 14, 2019, to Feb. 14, 2020.

For details, visit the Navy League website.

To find more scholarships, visit our partner Fastweb.com.

Alaska state benefits for military and veterans.

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