Brief from the Executive Director
Winter 2023/4
Aloha Tailhookers and welcome aboard 2024,
We hope your winter holidays are full of bright spirits and glad tidings. Your entire Tailhook Educational Foundation (TEF) team, and especially our 2023 grant awardees and 2024 scholarship applicants, greatly appreciate your resolute, loyal support each year from the first days of January through our annual End of Year fundraising efforts. Whatever the time, the more we receive, the more students we can congratulate in June for earning a TEF scholarship.
TEF supporters have crushed it this year to date through your bountiful support. Your donations empowered us to award 129 scholarships totaling $500,500 in grant funds in 2023. These grants average more than $4,050 each, an increase of over $500 per grant compared to 2022.
Of the 129 scholarships awarded, seven were Gold Star (GS) students who lost their parent while they were still serving on active duty. Many of your 2023 contributions funded these vital GS scholarships, and we are tracking toward awarding seven of these scholarships again in 2024. We ask you to continue your kind donations to these special grants again this year by indicating “Gold Star” on any of TEF’s donation options.
Your generosity at Hook ’23 also surpassed all previous symposium fundraising efforts, topping off at more than $120,000. These donations fully funded the CAPT Robert W. “Brick” Nelson Memorial Scholarship. This significant new TEF perennial scholarship pays tribute to Brick’s fabled Naval Aviation career and his lifelong service and support to Tailhook.
TEF was established and continues to run exclusively to support our annual Tailhook scholarships. This support comes from our membership, USS Midway Foundation sponsors, industry, and like-minded partners. If you have any questions or recommendations for TEF or if you’d like to volunteer to assist us in some of our efforts, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Mahalo again for helping TEF set new records and transcend our previous year’s fundraising efforts throughout 2023. And Mahalo Nui Loa in advance for your support as we turn the page to 2024. Your committed charitable assistance continues to make a positive, valuable, and inspiring difference for TEF’s scholarship awardees and our nation’s future leaders.
TEF wishes you and your Ohanas a wonderful winter full of seasonal blessings and peace.
CAPT Rodger Welch, USN(Ret) Executive Director
Tailhook Educational Foundation
Give Direct QR Code
About The TEF
The Tailhook Educational Foundation (TEF) is a charitable nonprofit California corporation created in February 1992. The Foundation's charter is "to educate the nation's public with regard to the history and present day activities of the United States Navy carrier aviation and its importance to our country's national security."
The main activities of the Foundation are:
To support the Tailhook Association
To distribute The Hook magazine to schools throughout the nation at no cost to the schools
To provide scholarships to qualified applicants
To support U.S Navy and Naval Aviation leadership
TEF Scholarships
TEF’s average scholarship amount is greater than $3,000 per grant per year. TEF’s top grant is awarded at $15,000.
Funding TEF scholarships is achieved either annually or perennially.
Perennial Scholarships
A perennial scholarship is funded by donating $70,000 or more to TEF. A $70,000 TEF Scholarship portfolio yields a $3,500 grant for your named scholarship per year in perpetuity.
An $80,000 TEF Scholarship portfolio yields a $4,000 grant for your named scholarship per year in perpetuity. Several of TEF’s perennial scholarship portfolios now exceed $100,000, all yielding at least $5,000 in an annual grant.
Sponsors funding perennial scholarships should also add funds to their portfolio whenever they can to ensure these portfolios continue to grow to keep pace with the increasing costs of colleges (1%~2% per year). When donations to existing perennial portfolios reach $10,000 or more, the annual grant yield for that scholarship increases $500 per year from that year on.
Annual Pass-through scholarships
An annual or “pass-through” scholarship is funded by providing TEF a payment of $3,000 or more each year to sponsor your named scholarship that year.
Pass through scholarship donations can also be for more than $3,000, and they can change each year by donating more than $3,000.
TEF’s current annual scholarships average more than $3,000 with our top grant awarded at $15,000.
.
TEF awards over 100 scholarships annually averaging more than $3,250 per grant with our top grant awarded at $15,000.
A number of our annual scholarships are awarded to students pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum. All TEF grants assist Naval Aviation legacy undergraduate students obtain a higher education.
Call Today
Scholarship Eligibility
To qualify for a Tailhook Educational Foundation scholarship, an individual must graduate from high school and be the natural, step, or adopted child or grandchild of a current or former (U.S. Navy / U.S. Marine Corps / U.S. Coast Guard) Naval Aviator, Naval Flight Officer, or Naval Aircrewman. Also eligible are individuals or children/grandchildren of individuals who are serving or have served on board a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier. Eligible applicants must also be accepted for undergraduate enrollment at an accredited college.
Applications are available at 1200 noon PST on 15 December and due back at TEF headquarters by 1200 noon PST on 01 March each year.
Scholarship Timeline
