The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is pleased to announce four new scholarships named in honor of distinguished members of its Board of Directors. These $20,000 scholarships, awarded over four years at $5,000 each year, are named for:
- Judith Legerski, former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
- Maj. Gen. Harry Sieben, former board member and Vice Chairman
- Jon Bengtson, former board member and Treasurer
- Dr. Carolyn Hines, former board member and founder of the CMP Scholarship program
“CMP has long focused on youth programs and giving back to the community. These new scholarships allow us to support the very best youth in America and at the same time recognize the individuals who championed youth programs while guiding the success of the CMP,” said Jerry O’Keefe, the new CMP Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.
In addition to the new $20,000 scholarships, other changes include:
- A new online application process
- Scholarships for trade and technical schools
- No minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) to apply
Each year, high school student-athletes involved in marksmanship programs are encouraged to apply for CMP Scholarships – a program that lends economic support to young marksmen and women who have demonstrated excellence on and off the firing line.
Traditionally, these scholarships have been used to pursue post-secondary or vocational programs, community colleges or university educations. However, in 2023, the CMP will broaden its scholarship program even more by involving trade and technical schools in order to keep up with national trends and to provide opportunities for athletes with a variety of interests.
“Our scholarships are available to all graduating high school seniors who have distinguished marksmanship, academic and community service records. By eliminating a minimum GPA, we are including those late bloomers who may have had a slow start in one area but have shown great potential by the end of their high school career,” said Dan Durben, former National Rifle Team and U.S. Olympic Team Rifle Coach and chairman of the CMP Scholarship Committee.
Since 2005, the CMP Scholarship Program has presented $1,000 one-year scholarships to high school seniors based on merit, humanitarian efforts, extracurricular activities and marksmanship participation. In 2020, the CMP added one $5,000 scholarship, the Carolyn Hines Memorial Scholarship – awarded to the top applicant who best embodied the values of Dr. Hines, who was instrumental in shaping the program.
This year, CMP will continue to award $1,000, $3,000 and $5,000 scholarships for over 90 rising high school seniors. Applicants will compete based on their rifle, pistol and/or shotgun competition history, academic excellence, community service, leadership and potential.
As stated, the CMP no longer requires a minimum GPA, though academic performance is still a key component of the selection criteria. In addition, the new automated application replaces paper forms and mailing documents with an online application and the ability to upload documents.
CMP will award a total of $200,000 for the 2023-2024 school year. Additionally, the Garand Collectors Association has generously donated $30,000 in partnership with the CMP in its recognition of our nation’s best young marksmen and women.
The deadline to apply for a CMP Scholarship will be March 31, 2023. A link to the online application portal and other scholarship information can be found by visiting https://thecmp.org/youth/cmp-scholarship-program/.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.
