Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation: CTE Need-based Scholarships

Our Mission
Every dream has a journey. Every career has a path. At the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, we’re committed to supporting Marine children in pursuit of their educational goals, including those enrolled in Career Technical Education (CTE) programs.

Our CTE scholarship application is available year-round for students attending certificate training or other programs of less than 12 months, and 100 percent of eligible applicants receive aid. Unique in the scholarship provider industry, our need-based scholarship program is intentionally structured to reach students who have the most need, not access to the most opportunity. We require just three eligibility criteria.

Applicants must:

• Be the child of a Marine, Navy Corpsmen, or Religious Program Specialist, who served with Marines;
• Have a GPA of 2.0 or higher; and
• Demonstrate financial need.

Our Scholars
Marine Scholars in 41 states are pursuing CTE education; with the highest representation in North Carolina, California and Texas – states with large populations of Marine Corps families. The quality of the students we invest in, children raised by honorable Marine parents, is highlighted in their academic accomplishments. With a graduation rate of 91 percent (compared to 56 percent nationally) and 50 percent of our recipients reporting little to no debt at graduation (compared to 30 percent nationally), we are confident that our scholarship support makes a significant impact in their lives after graduation.

Reimagining Careers through CTE
Our CTE scholarship often offers students the opportunity to reimagine their career paths. Jennifer, the daughter of veteran Corporal Neil Cleveland USMC, worked in the utility field for over twenty years and wanted to pursue a career that would allow her to give back to her community. Due to family circumstances, she had only completed her education up to 7th grade before returning to community college in her thirties. Now with a family of her own, Jennifer wanted to reset her career and reimage her family’s future.

Jennifer chose to pursue education through the Metropolitan State University of Denver, studying Fire and Emergency Response Administration. She told the Scholarship Foundation that her program had “enhanced her own character building” by surrounding her with other students who are also serving their communities as Fire Captains, Fire Marshalls and Police Cadets. Her CTE experience, which also included internships and hands-on training, will be instrumental in allowing her to succeed on her new career path.

Receiving her scholarship allowed Jennifer to participate in her program fully without worrying about the cost. She will graduate in May with a perfect GPA. Jennifer hopes to go on to get a master’s degree in Global Energy Management, one day working with new clean energy technology.

Jennifer’s drive to give back to her community is a common thread amongst Marine Scholars. Another student using his CTE experience to give back is Danny, the son of Sergeant Danny Novoa Sr USMC (Ret.). Danny was inspired to learn the trade of fabrication through volunteering with his father at Warfighter Made, a non-profit that creates custom vehicles and experiences for wounded veterans.

The Fabrication School has a unique program that teaches Danny the specialized skills he needs to become a professional fabricator, such as welding and shaping steel. The school also offers a specialization in off-road and automotive building, the area Danny wishes to pursue. After he completes his certification, Danny intends to work as a professional fabricator and continue his volunteer work with Warfighter Made. Through CTE, Danny can turn his passion into a career.

CTE programs often give non-traditional students like Jennifer a chance to reconnect with their educational journey and reset their career goals. Students like Danny can turn a passion into a career, reimagining what is possible for their futures. The Scholarship Foundation can step in and help children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen achieve these goals through need-based scholarships. These students enter the workforce ready for immediate employment in today’s most hands-on careers.

If a student has a Marine Parent, no matter when they served, no matter what career path they’re on, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation can help them pay for training. You can learn more about the CTE scholarship and apply at www.mcsf.org/cte.

Visit Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation’s virtual booth at the Advance CTE 2021 Spring Meeting! Registration is open. More information and the interactive agenda can be found here.