Events: Arizona - Phoenix - Scottsdale

For the past 50 years, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation has awarded need-based scholarships to the children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen.  The Scholarship Foundation was founded to serve the mission of   “Honoring Marines by Educating Their Children”

Since 1962, the Scholarship Foundation has awarded over 27,000 scholarships totaling $67 million. As the nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to military families, scholarships are is given to the children whose Marine or Navy Corpsmen parent has been killed or wounded in combat, or to those who have demonstrated financial need.

The Scholarship Foundation is receiving record levels of applications, experiencing a 47 percent increase since 2007.  With the average annual cost of four-year public university tuition reaching nearly $20,000 and the average enlisted military family income of scholarship recipients $49,000, need-based scholarships  offer critical assistance for military families.

The second annual Arizona Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Awards Dinner will be held on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at Westin Kierland in Scottsdale.  The Arizona Awards Dinner provides the opportunity for individuals, corporations and civic leaders to support Marine families.  This year, scholarships will be presented from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the Arizona Community Foundation.  All of the funds raised at the dinner will fund educational scholarships with first priority given to students in Arizona. Last year, the Arizona Awards Dinner raised $1,266,312.47 and provided 34 scholarships to Arizona students.

"Arizona Marines and their families make tremendous sacrifices while serving our nation.  The Awards Dinner is our chance to honor local heroes and to show appreciation for all military. Monies raised will fund scholarships for college students across Arizona,” said Deborah Carstens, Arizona Awards Dinner Co-chair and Scholarship Foundation Board Member.

For tickets or information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Mallory Loring at (602) 274-1988 or visit www.mcsf.org/azawards.

For more information on the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, or for additional information on how to apply for a scholarship, visit www.mscf.org. Applications are accepted for the 2012-2013 academic year through March 1, 2012.

About the Foundation

The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation is the nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to U.S. military families. Since 1962, the Foundation has provided more than 27,000 scholarships valued at over $67,000,000  to Marine Corps sons and daughters whose parents have been killed or wounded in combat or have demonstrated financial need. The Foundation is proud to have been named by Independent Charities of America as ‘Best in America’ for demonstrating “the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness.” For more information on the privately-funded, 501(c)(3) non-profit Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation visit www.mcsf.org.