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Huntington Ingalls Industries Awards 100 Scholarships Through Annual Scholarship Fund

News Provided by GlobeNewswire2018-06-28

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NEWPORT NEWS, Va., June 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) announced today that the HII Scholarship Fund, now in its third year, has awarded 100 pre-kindergarten and post-secondary scholarships for the 2018-2019 school year. To date, nearly 400 scholarships have been awarded or renewed for a total of more than $1 million, providing educational opportunities to 271 children of employees across the HII enterprise.

The HII Scholarship Fund was formed to provide financial assistance to qualified and selected dependent children of HII employees who are pursuing a post-secondary college or technical/vocation degree and dependent children who are enrolled in quality pre-kindergarten school readiness programs. HII was able to award its annual goal of 100 scholarships due to HII president and CEO Mike Petters declining his annual salary, but for $1, to fund program for the third year in a row.

“Three years after its creation, we now have HII Scholarship Fund recipients who are entering the workforce equipped with important skills to help ensure their success,” Petters said. “Not only that, but we’ve also focused on early childhood education for 132 preschoolers because we believe this is where the true love of learning begins. The HII Scholarship Fund has created an opportunity for our employees and their families to have access to the academic resources necessary to flourish in the workforce.”

Individual award amounts range from $1,500 for selected students enrolled in a two-year college program to $3,000 for selected students enrolled in a four-year program; the post-secondary awards are renewable for recipients who remain in good academic standing. The fund also awards scholarships of up to $3,000 for pre-school education costs.

As part of HII’s commitment to workforce development, efforts to invest in the future generations of workers through education, from pre-K through college, is a top priority. HII supports numerous workforce development efforts, including investment in STEM education programs; partnerships with local high schools, community colleges and technical schools to develop trade-based curriculum; summer internships for both students and teachers, and industry-leading apprentice schools at the company’s two shipyards.

Of the scholarships awarded, 30 were granted to post-secondary students in four-year education programs, 20 were granted to post-secondary students in two-year technical/vocation programs, and 50 were granted to students in scholarships for early childhood school-readiness programs. The parents of the scholarship awardees work across the HII enterprise.

Children of all HII employees are eligible to apply for the scholarship fund, with the exception of children of senior executives and those employees who have been with the company for less than two years. Guidelines and applications for the 2019 program will be available in early 2019.

The HII Scholarship Fund is administered through Scholarship America. The selection process for awards is independent of HII and based on both academic scholarship and financial need. No employee or officer of HII plays a part in the selection process.

Huntington Ingalls Industries is America’s largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HII’s Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HII’s Technical Solutions division provides a wide range of professional services through its Fleet Support, Integrated Missions Solutions, Nuclear & Environmental, and Oil & Gas groups. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs nearly 39,000 people operating both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit: