Know of any grants mariners can use towards continuing education?

Merry Christmas!

Has anyone heard of any grants that a hawespiper could use to pay for some of the numerous endorsements? Our company covers a little bit, but there are a lot of courses to be taken. I’ve found where the feds offer grants to kids going to an academy, but nothing for those of us already out in the world. I also have a female deckhand that is looking to sit for a license soon, and recall hearing of grants specifically for female mariners, anyone else know anything about that? I’ve just about worn google out and haven’t been able to find anything.

Many Thanks.

I used to know what it was called. I met an AB who got it. According to her it was administered by one person, a widow or something. Her and her husband were both flight pilots way way back in the day. The scholarship/grant was for women in the aviation or maritime field. I wanna say her name is pinky? And it was called the pinky scholarship of something? This is my vague memory talking here. I googled it and could not find anything. She may not be alive anymore. They were in the PNW if that helps. If you can find the lady’s name you can find the scholarship. I dont remember it being a huge amount of money but enough to pay for a couple classes or upgrades.

Ok, found it. The Pinky and Joe Brier Foundation. I could not find the website. Good luck.

[QUOTE=lanternfish;176106]Merry Christmas!

Has anyone heard of any grants that a hawespiper could use to pay for some of the numerous endorsements? Our company covers a little bit, but there are a lot of courses to be taken. I’ve found where the feds offer grants to kids going to an academy, but nothing for those of us already out in the world. I also have a female deckhand that is looking to sit for a license soon, and recall hearing of grants specifically for female mariners, anyone else know anything about that? I’ve just about worn google out and haven’t been able to find anything.

Many Thanks.[/QUOTE]

Always ask the school if they have any grants available. That worked well for me in the past. Not sure what is out there now.

Good luck!

http://gcaptain.com/how-do-mariners-pay-for-training-by-leonard-lambert/#.Vn15X3Qo6BZ

Or, of course, make the application to KP. Tough to get in, tough to finish, but cost is minimal.

What a wonderful system we have. I get the privilege of paying lots of taxes. My tax dollars subsidize companies like Chouest to run their own private schools for their own employees. My tax dollars subsidize Union schools. My tax dollars provide grants to lots of other for profit schools. My tax dollars provide grants to lots of other mariner’s making over $100k per year to get all their courses for free.

But I still get the privilege of paying with my own money for all my courses.

[QUOTE=cajaya;176111]Ok, found it. The Pinky and Joe Brier Foundation. I could not find the website. Good luck.[/QUOTE]

That’s totally it! I had a female mate a few years ago that used that foundation successfully and now its all coming back to me. So far, I haven’t found the website, but I’m ever closer than when I was typing “grants for female mariners” into Google. Thanks for the good lead.

      • Updated - - -

[QUOTE=tugsailor;176230]What a wonderful system we have. I get the privilege of paying lots of taxes. My tax dollars subsidize companies like Chouest to run their own private schools for their own employees. My tax dollars subsidize Union schools. My tax dollars provide grants to lots of other for profit schools. My tax dollars provide grants to lots of other mariner’s making over $100k per year to get all their courses for free.

But I still get the privilege of paying with my own money for all my courses.[/QUOTE]

It sure does feel that way, doesn’t it? I’m glad I’m not the only one that feels like we’re being left out of the pool. As non-union, post-collegiate type folks who would we talk to about having some of that money come back into our industry for hawespipers. I suppose there’s a representative or two in SC that I could write to…even if I didn’t vote for them last year.

There are actually a couple of tax credits that provide for dollar for dollar reduction in your tax liability that people may be able to use. This isn’t exactly a grant. But I think both the Lifetime Learning and American Opportunity (both footnoted in the above article as being possible for use with both degree and non-degree institutions) may be useable by mariners. Of course, there are income limits where the credits stop kicking in… As always, do your own research to see whether this is a tax credit to which you can legally use. But, I think both offer up to 2500/year off your tax liability which does translate to basically a reimbursement.