Yorktown scholarship program formed

The USS Yorktown Association has formed a scholarship program to assist crew descendants and area students who plan to continue their education in college or vocational school programs.

The association is offering two $1,250 scholarships, renewable for up to three additional years, for a total of $5,000. High school seniors from Charleston, Dorchester and Berkley counties are eligible to apply, as are direct descendants of crew members who served on the Yorktown.

Renewable scholarships are offered each year for full-time study at an accredited institution of the student’s choice. The program is part of the association’s ongoing mission to educate and inspire patriotism in new generations while preserving the ship and memorializing its crews.

“We are excited about the inaugural year of the scholarship program and look forward to serving the descendants of former crew and the Charleston area for years to come,” said Yorktown Association Shipboard Director Todd Cummins.

To qualify for a scholarship, applicants must:

Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year.

Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent).

Be a United States citizen.

Applications are available at www.ussyorktown.net. The deadline to apply is Feb. 15.

Up to 40 applications will be considered, the first 20 received in each group (crew descendants and tri-county high school seniors).

For more information, call 881-5925.