The purpose of the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishing Association (MSSA) Scholarship Foundation is to provide financial aide to undergraduate students in fields of study such as marine biology, environmental engineering and management, and fisheries management, or other curricula related to the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries, and the coastal waters of the mid-Atlantic seaboard.
Application Deadline
Applicants must submit a completed application, a personal essay between 300-600 words, and official transcript(s) of academic work by
5 p.m. Friday, April 14 to be considered.
The board of directors will then review the applications, and decisions are expected to be made and announced to successful applicants on or before June 1, 2017.
Download the application at mssascholarships.net.
Eligibility
Any resident of Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, or Washington, D.C. is eligible to receive a scholarship. Eligible applicants must be at any grade level from high school senior to college junior and intend to be a full-time student the next academic year.
Award
The award may be used to study in any accredited institution of higher learning in the United States for the 2017-2018 academic year. The amount of the award varies according the Foundation’s fund balance and is set annually by the board of directors. In recent years awards have been made ranging from $1000 to $5000.
History
The MSSA Scholarship Foundation made their first donation (of $1000) in 1995. A total of 74 scholarships have been awarded since 1995.
Income for the Foundation comes from individuals, businesses, MSSA Chapters, and revenue from special events and activities. To ensure the sustainability of the scholarship program,
donations may be made by check, payable to the MSSA Scholarship Foundation and mailed to 8461 C Fort Smallwood Road, Pasadena, MD 21122. All contributions are tax deductible; directors receive no compensation.