SCHOLARSHIP
The Navy Divers Association has created a Scholarship Fund which is made available to all Navy Divers and those who have successfully completed a U.S. Navy diving course, their children, stepchildren, legally adopted foster children, and grandchildren. The rules, guidelines and additional information will be found in the NDA Scholarship Application link listed annually.
The NDA does not charge dues. To date any revenue, we receive is through the bi-annual NDA Reunion Auction, the sale of T-shirts and ball caps (from which the profit is minimal) and donations. So, as long as we continue to do well at the bi-annual auction and continue to receive scholarship donations, your NDA will have a Scholarship Fund and continue to give annual scholarships per our application standards.
The deadline for filing for the Scholarship Application is 31 March and decisions will be made regarding the awards during May of the same year.
Additional scholarships will be awarded each year. Information regarding the applications will go out NLT 31 December for the following year.
Eligibility for the NDA Scholarship, as defined, is an individual under age 23, and be the son, daughter, grandchild, or great grandchild (including legally adopted and stepchildren) of a living member of the NDA in good standing. In the case of deceased members, the member must have been in good standing at the time of his/her death.
Your NDA had eighteen (18) scholarship applicants this year (2021). The eighteen applicants included three students who have maintained excellent grades and are returning for another year. Your Board of Directors (BoD) agreed three (3) years ago to fund their annual selection for the applicant’s undergraduate education not to exceed four (4) years.
Unfortunately, your NDA did not receive many donations in 2020 and 2021 so we were constrained as to the number of applicants we were financially able to support. We were only financially able to award $10,000 in scholarships to five applicants. Your NDA would have LOVED to award more scholarships, but we are constrained by the money we have available.
Thank goodness we have some (who have NO skin in the game and are retired Navy Divers) who do continually contribute. That makes up the bulk of the Scholarship Fund. We also get a small amount from Amazon Smile and The Network for Good.
This year (2021) we were ONLY able to accommodate the following five applicants:
- New
- Chloe Cullen -- two more years as she is entering her sophomore year
- Serena Lovell -- three more years
- Returning
- Cassandra Branham -- last year
- Arianna Lovell -- one more year
- Dylan Blanchard -- two more years
It was extremely difficult for the BoD to select the two new applicants because we had such an outstanding field of applicants from which to select.
