How did we settle on a scholarship?
After polling the class, we found a scholarship fund would allow us to keep the memories of our classmates alive while supporting the next generation of Navy and Marine Corps officers.

I thought VGEP was free, why are there scholarships?
VGEP isn’t free, you’re thinking of IGEP (it’s called something different now)! In fact, there are no dedicated scholarships for VGEP, except us. For VGEP, midshipmen are required to come out-of-pocket while making a peasant’s salary, and the Graduate Education Office informed us that some midshipmen even self select out of the program rather than asking family for money or taking out loans.

How are the scholarships chosen?
The Graduate Education Committee - comprised of the deans / directors of all four academic schools on the yard, along with associate deans, senior professors, and the deputy commandant - select the midshipmen based on applications and company officer input.

How many scholarships are we awarding per year and for what amount?
We are funding up to four $‘06,000 scholarships a year, one in the name of each classmate in Memorial Hall.

How much of my donation goes toward the class gift?
In late 2024, We successfully negotiated an 85/15 split with the Alumni Association. This means for every $100 donated, $85 goes towards the scholarship fund, and $15 goes towards the Naval Academy Fund. The NAF is split between the Superintendent’s unrestricted fund and the Alumni Association, to pay for operating expenses.

How long will this funding last?
We will continue the scholarships for as long as possible. Our on-paper goal is $150K, but $240K would last ten years. Should the class see value in continuing, we have the option to build an endowment to fund it in perpetuity, though it would require a considerable donation from the class. Alternatively, annual funding would work out to around $25 per classmate per year.

What happens if I don’t tell the caller to align my donation to the 2006 Graduate Education Fund?
If you do not specify your donation should go to “The 2006 Graduate Education Fund,” they will put your donation towards the Naval Academy Fund - a general fund that is used for USNAAF operating expenses and the Superintendent’s Unrestricted Funds. For this reason, we recommend donating online, where the default donation will go towards our class project until 31 December 2026. Please contact Adrienne Maeser Mills and Josh Angichiodo if you have questions on donations.