THE JOHN J. PIAZZA SR.
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA U.S. MAIL AND POSTMARKED BY 2400 (MIDNIGHT)MAY 30, OF THE AWARD YEAR. LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR REVIEW.

Important Reminder:

Verification of enrollment by the college, among other requirements, is required before any funds are awarded to the student.

About John J. Piazza Sr

I had known John, prior to his untimely death, for approximately 10 years and on numerous occasions he has given his time, use of his equipment, his staff, and his financial assistance to many individuals, organizations, and charities.

Nothing was more important to him than helping the youth of Florida get a decent education. Along with many other actions and because of his love for education, he changed the name of his lifetime dream from , the “Armed Force Military Museum,” in Largo, Florida, to the “Armed Forces Military History Museum” in order to attract the schools in this area.  The schools responded and children received a thorough education about the military. Mr. Piazza .truly gave his all for the purpose of educating the children.

He was deeply concerned with their education and because of that he worked tirelessly on our own Scholarship Program. He believed in educating those who were less fortunate than others. As a result of his effort, the Scholarship Program increased by double in the amount of recipients and doubled in the amount given to each student who requested assistance.

Through his encouragement membership involvement and donations have made a lasting imprint on those seeking higher education. Members of the Department of Florida, Marine Corps League voted recently to change the name to read the “John J. Piazza Sr. Scholarship Program” to honor him for his work.

                Thank you, John, for all you have done, you are sincerely missed.

Semper Fidelis
William G. Cona

The Fund

The Department of Florida - Marine Corps League – John J. Piazza Sr. Memorial Scholarship Fund is intended to provide financial assistance to individuals who are members of the family of a “Florida” Marine Corps Leaguer. A “Florida Leaguer is a man or woman who is a regular or associate member of a MCL Detachment or Auxiliary Unit which is a part of the Department of Florida. They must be a parent (step-parent), spouse or grandparent of the individual they intend to sponsor. Florida residents who are members of the League and are on active duty as Marines or Marine Reservists are also eligible to apply, as are the widows and children of Marines who lost their lives in the line of duty. These are the only eligible applicants.

 Every applicant who meets the requirements of the current award year program is also eligible to receive assistance for up to four years. They must re-apply each year as a Renewal applicant. There is no requirement that the applicant finishes his or her program within the four years of eligibility. Should the applicant require temporary withdrawal from the program, after being approved for assistance, and in order to retain eligibility to re-apply for assistance, the applicant must submit a letter of explanation stating the reason(s) for withdrawal. The Scholarship Committee will review and either approve or disapprove applicant’s eligibility for future assistance. The focus of the program is to provide assistance to persons who are ready and eligible to enter academic or technical programs at the undergraduate or equivalent level in a technical program.

There are two (2) types of applicants: A New applicant and a Renewal applicant. NEW APPLICANTS are those individuals who are making application to the Scholarship Program for the first time. They may have already completed a portion of their intended course of study but they or their sponsor may have just learned of the MCL Scholarship Program. RENEWAL

APPLICANTS are those applicants who have received at least one Department of Florida MCL Scholarship Award, but no more than three, and are re-enrolling for another year of study.

 The Scholarship Committee at the annual MCL Department of Florida Convention, held in June of each year, will review all applications, which have been received via U. S. Mail and/or postmarked before midnight, May 30, of the current award year. Each application will be reviewed, discussed and voted upon by the Committee members who are present at the meeting. Consensus is required for every applicant’s classification. Each application will be assigned to one of two classifications. They are: Conditional Acceptance or Not Approved.

 Those applicants who receive Conditional Acceptance are fully approved for the current year’s scholarship award. The only condition they must still meet is to have an official document returned to the Chairperson of the Committee stating that the applicant is enrolled in the program of his/her choice as a full time student for the fall of the current award year term. The applicant must be attending classes at an accredited institution. Online schools do not qualify. Those applicants who are not approved by the Committee will receive a letter, which will provide an explanation for the non-approval. The major reasons for non approval are: failure to meet deadlines or failure to supply the information required to complete the Application.

APPLICANT RESPONSIBILITIES

1. All applicants must complete and sign a CURRENT Scholarship form. Failure to use a current form will result in the rejection of the application. It is the responsibility of the applicant, the Sponsor and the Detachment/Unit to ensure that the Application is completed on the current form.

2. The applicant must make sure that all the information required on the application is complete. The only other document required is an official proof of registration from the applicant’s school. Many schools will not issue this until classes start in the fall. This proof of registration must be for the Fall of the current award year semester, and can be sent at a later date, but must be received by 12 October of the current award year.

3. The committee realizes that the applicant may not be able to control all the activities involved in successfully completing the application form, therefore the applicant should coordinate completion with the sponsor to ensure the application’s accuracy.

SPONSOR RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Ensure that the person who is their sponsor is a member of the sponsor’s immediate family. No nieces, nephews or neighbors. Step children and adoptees are considered family members. Sponsors may sponsor spouses or self if assistance is truly needed.

2. The sponsor must show evidence to the officers of your Detachment or Unit that the sponsor is a legal resident of the State of Florida. A driver’s license or voter registration card is acceptable. If the sponsor does not have a driver’s license, an I.D. card can be secured where driver’s licenses are issued.

3. Proof must be furnished to the Detachment Commandant/President and Paymaster/Treasurer that the sponsor is a Regular or an Associate Member in the Marine Corps League in Good Standing. In good standing requires that all dues are paid and up to date or, that the sponsor is a Life Member of the League or Auxiliary. If Sponsor is the Commandant/President or the Paymaster/Treasurer of the detachment, the Commandant/President must appoint another qualified detachment officer to approve the application.

DETACHMENT/AUXILIARY OFFICERS RESPONSIBILITIES

Major responsibilities are to ensure that the applicant is a legal member of the sponsor’s family. The detachment officer is to print their name and sign the application in the appropriate place and provide the full and correct address where the mail is certain to reach the Commandant or President of the Detachment or Unit. If the Detachment officers do not complete the form properly, the application will not be accepted. FILL IN ALL APPROPRIATE BLANK SPACES IN EVERY SECTION.

Mail Completed Application to:

Ron Curci Chairman, Scholarship Fund
1107 North Knight Street
Plant City, FL 33563

Email:: ron@roncurci.com

Important to Remember

All applications must be submitted via U.S. mail and postmarked by 2400 (midnight) May 30 of the award year. Late applications will not be considered for review.

Note

• It is the applicant’s responsibility to notify the Chairperson if the applicant does not receive an acknowledgement of receipt of application within 45 days after submitting to the Chairperson.

• This is an undergraduate college level scholarship only.

• If you are a dual member you only qualify under your voting-privilege detachment, for the purpose of this scholarship.