USS BERGALL ASSOCIATION


SCHOLARSHIP FUND





SCHOLARSHIP OVERVIEW

The USS Bergall Association was founded in 2000 to support the fellowship of all crewmembers and to preserve the rich history of two submarines that shared the same name but served in two different eras (i.e., SS-320 during and after WWII, and SSN-667 during the Cold War).  The Association is concerned that the educational potential of our descendants: dependent sons, daughters, grandchildren, and direct relatives such as nieces and nephews for those crew members without direct descendants: may not be realized due to financial constraints.  The Association believes that all descendants of Bergall crewmembers, who are academically qualified for admission to an accredited college or vocational/technical school, should have the financial means to enable them to attend a school of higher education.

It is with this objective in mind that the USS Bergall Association created a scholarship program in 2015, funded solely from donations from members and supporters of the USS Bergall Association, to benefit young qualified Bergall descendants or legal dependents that are pursuing a postsecondary education. The Bergall Association scholarship is intended to reduce the financial obstacles that might otherwise prohibit a student from furthering one’s education. The scholarship program began in 2016 (for school year 2016 -2017) with an initial scholarship award of $500.00 to the winner. Due to the generosity of the membership and friends, we increased the scholarship award in 2018 to $1,000.00 and in 2022 to $2,000.00.  We continue to see the fund grow that will support future increases in the scholarship amount or the number of scholarships awarded each year. 

As the scholarship process has evolved, Bergall Association members have asked to donate money to the scholarship fund in memory of a Bergall sailor that has passed since the last awarded scholarship. These donations will be added to Scholarship fund, and a list of past crew members will be identified in the awarded annual scholarship. If a donation is made that covers the entire scholarship ($2000), a scholarship will be awarded in memory of the person specified with the name of the donor included.  IE, a memorial scholarship for a specific person must be fully funded separate of the annual scholarship. If there is/are fully funded memorial scholarships, each one will be awarded as determined by the scholarship committee in addition to the normal annual scholarship.

Complete Scholarship Program Download Link

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

1)     Applicant must be a high school senior or graduate under age 21, or

2)     Applicant must be a student under age 23 currently enrolled in a full time course of study at an accredited institution of higher learning.

3)     Applicant must be a “DIRECT DESCENDANT”, “LEGAL DEPENDENT”, or  "DIRECT RELATIVE" of a Bergall crew member (320 or 667).

4)     Applicant must have an eligible “SPONSOR” that is a Full or Associate Member of the USS Bergall Association in good standing at the time of application. 

5)     Applicant must be able to demonstrate:

a)     Academic proficiency

b)     Participation in extracurricular activities that benefit their school and/or community

c)     Recognition of volunteer activities as demonstrated by awards, etc.


APPLICATION PROCESS

The USS Bergall Association has established a Scholarship Committee to review and approve applications. Students meeting the above criteria and wishing to apply for a scholarship must observe the following procedure depending on your current situation:

1)     For high school students or recent graduates:

a)     Complete and sign the enclosed application.  Entries on the application form must be COMPLETE, ACCURATE and, LEGIBLE.

b)     Provide an original essay of no fewer than 400 words but no greater than 800 words on a separate sheet(s) of paper.

c)     Enclose only two (2) letters of reference/recommendation from individuals other than a relative or school guidance counselor not dated before January 1st of the application year.

d)     Enclose or forward to the committee an official high school transcript for the 3 or 4 years completed.

e)     Provide a copy of a letter of acceptance to an accredited college or vocational/technical school.

2)     For current college students only:

a)     Complete and sign the enclosed application.  Entries on the application form must be COMPLETE, ACCURATE and, LEGIBLE.

b)     Provide an original essay of no fewer than 400 words and no greater than 800 words on a separate sheet of paper.

c)     Enclose only two (2) letters of reference/recommendation from individuals other than a relative or school guidance counselor not dated before January 1st of the application year.

d)     Unless high school transcript has been previously submitted, enclose or forward to the committee an official high school transcript for the 3 or 4 years completed.

e)     Forward an official college or technical school transcript reflecting all semesters completed to date.


REQUIRED DOCUMENT CHECKLIST

1)     Completed Application

2)     Official transcript(s) from school(s)

3)     Two (2) letters of reference/recommendation

4)     Acceptance letter from college/technical school

5)     Applicant essay

6)     Mailing deadline – postmarked no later than May 31th

All documents listed above must be postmarked no later than May 31st of the application year and mailed to the Bergall Association Scholarship Committee Chairman at the address listed below:

Larry Penny
USS Bergall Association Scholarship Committee Chairman
13755 Sand Ridge Rd
West Palm Beach, FL  33418-8642

NOTE: If any of the required documents are postmarked after May 31st, the application will be considered “disqualified” and not reviewed.


REVIEW PROCESS AND DETERMINATION

1)     The information submitted by the applicant will be held in strict confidence. It will be made available only to members of the USS Bergall Association Scholarship Committee in compliance with the Privacy Act Of 1974, Public Law 93-380.

2)     Each member of the Scholarship Committee, unless recused due to a conflict of interest, will review and evaluate each application and supporting documentation.  The applicant’s final score will be based on an average of the evaluator’s scores.

3)     The Scholarship award will be made solely at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee with the approval of USS Bergall Association Executive Board.

4)     The winner will be announced in the first week of July of the application year.

5)     All applicants will be informed by regular mail and email of the status of their application when the scholarship award is announced.

6)     All material submitted becomes property of the Bergall Association Scholarship Committee and will not be returned.


We are committed to assisting descendants/legal dependents of USS Bergall crewmembers to further their education through scholarship disbursements.  We are looking forward to receiving your application!

Sincerely,

Larry Penny - Scholarship Committee Chairman

Cell phone: 561-722-1679           Email:  scholarship@ussbergall.org

 Copyright © The USS Bergall Association,  All rights reserved.  No copying, distribution or other use of these pages and/or images is permitted without express written consent of The USS Bergall Association.