Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz College Scholarship Program
The USS NIMITZ (CVN68) ASSOCIATION will award an annual College Scholarship in the amount of $3000.00. Application instructions are outlined below. To be considered for Scholarship Year 2025 application forms MUST be received by the Scholarship Committee Chairperson, (date to be determined).
Mail application with all required documents to:
Gary Rollins
Scholarship Committee Chairman
USS Nimitz (CVN-68) Association
4745 Thoroughgood Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
- Purpose: The Scholarship Chairman will oversee and administer the granting of one $3,000.00 (Three Thousand Dollar) Scholarship each year as defined by the criteria outlined in the Associations bylaws. Additional scholarships may be awarded by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
- Eligibility: Applicant must meet one of the following criteria: 1) A dependent child of a current USS Nimitz (CVN-68) crewmember or Embarked Units Personnel; 2) An active member of the ASSOCIATION in good standing; 3) A dependent child or grandchild of an ASSOCIATION member in good standing or; 4) Any ASSOCIATION member in “good standing” (defined as current on their dues) can nominate any applicant whether or not that applicant is a dependent child or grandchild. In “good standing” infers the member must be in good standing for no less than two consecutive years preceding the application submission and have attended at least one reunion during their membership”.
- Qualifications: Must have been accepted as a full-time student at an accredited community/junior college, 4-year college or university. The Scholarship must be used for undergraduate studies only, leading to an Associate or Bachelor Degree.
- Application: An Application Form may be downloaded from the Association website, or requested from the Scholarship Chairperson, or the USS NIMITZ Public Affairs Office (for crew members and embarked personnel). In addition to submission of a completed Application Form and all that it requires, the applicant shall:
- Attach a transcript of school grades.
- Provide verification of SAT and/or ACT (for high school seniors) or GPA (for college students) is required.
- Provide three (3) personal reference letters from non-relatives of the applicant. (Family members may not submit a personal reference on behalf of the applicant)
- Provide documentation verifying that the selected school is an accredited college.
- Provide picture suitable for posting on our Association website and publishing in our newsletter. Print name, month and year the photo was taken on the back of the photo. Place the photo in an envelope.
- Completion of the essay as described in section (e)
- Essay Criteria: A scholarship essay, as a demonstration of skills and critical thought is worth a maximum of 30 points. A maximum of 15 points for the quality of the message and a maximum of 15 points for grammar, spelling and punctuation. The essay will have a patriot theme and follow the format below:
- It must be between 250 – 500 words (excluding bibliography) and,
- Address the following question using persuasive argumentation and supporting evidence examples – What historical event (excluding the events of September 11, 2001) do you believe was a defining moment of American patriotism and what lesson should contemporary society learn from this event?
- Selection Criteria, Process and Judging Guidelines. The Scholarship Committee Chairperson shall present to the Board of Directors all applications from all eligible candidates on the first day of each reunion. The Board of Directors and selected general members, while maintaining a quorum of BOD participants, shall meet in closed session and score each eligible candidate utilizing the following point scoring system:
- Grade point average (cumulative) times10 for a high school senior or grade point times 10 (cumulative) for a college Freshman, Sophomore or Junior – or equivalent –all GPAs will be converted to a standardized 4.0 point scale.).
- Number of total hours of volunteer work times 1 point, maximum of 15 (requires verification), or receipt of a prestigious service award.
- Sponsor involvement in the USS NIMITZ ASSOCIATION or presently serving on active duty is worth 1 to 10 points at the discretion of the selection committee. Scoring criteria will be provided by the chairman of the scholarship committee.
- Each prestigious Honor Award is worth a maximum of 10 points (with verification), e.g., National Honor Society, achievement of Eagle Scout Rank, etc.; overall maximum of 20 points
- The essay, as described in section (e), is worth a maximum of 30 points: a maximum of 15 points for quality of message and a maximum of 15 points for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
- The Board of Directors may, at their discretion, set up additional criteria at each official meeting to select the winner of the scholarship: and award a maximum of 20 points for such criteria.
- Additional Information/Requirements.
- Grades: The selected applicant MUST maintain a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent if the college uses a different system – please explain) to receive the monetary award. This must be verified in writing to the Scholarship Chairperson at the end of the first semester and at the end of the school term.
- Full Time Student. To be classified as a full time student, the winning applicant must complete 12 creditable semester hours of study per semester, to be eligible to receive the Scholarship Award. NOTE: Quarter hours cannot be substituted for semester hours.
- Monetary Award. Fifty percent (50%) of the Scholarship ($1,500.00) shall be awarded at the end of the first grading period (mid-term) following selection, and the balance upon completion of the academic year or subsequent semester
- Notification: The successful candidate will be notified immediately (or as soon thereafter as possible) after being announced to the membership at the Association’s annual reunion dinner banquet.