Book Scholarships

We provide book scholarships to students of families who work in the Maine fisheries

2021 Book Scholarship Application (Word)
2021 Book Scholarship Application (PDF Fillable)
2020 Awards Winner List (Word)
2020 Awards Winner List (PDF)
2020 Awards Winner List (HTML)

The Maine Fishermen’s Forum is very pleased to announce that the Board of Directors will award $40,000 in scholarships this year, despite having to cancel the live event normally held in March.  Applications will be accepted until March 3, 2021, for up to 26 Scholarship Book Awards. Scholarships will be a minimum of $1500 each, and will be payable to the winning students.

Last year, the total scholarship book awards totaled was $60,000.00, generated from the annual Scholarship Auction, and donations from Forum attendees and organizations.

Candidates must complete the Forum application, be in at least their second year of college or a vocational school, and will need to submit a transcript along with the application.  Scholarship applications are available on this website or by sending a SASE to Maine Fishermen’s Forum, PO Box 288, Bath, ME  04530.  Applications can also be requested by calling (207) 442-7700.  Prior winners are not eligible for this scholarship opportunity.

The deadline for submitting an application is Wednesday, March 3, 2021.  If there are any questions, please contact Chilloa Young (coordinator@mainefishermensforum.org), or call 207-442-7700.

The scholarship drawing will be held on Friday, March 5, 2021.  Winners will be announced on the Forum website and on the Forum Facebook page on the same day.

“Thank You for awarding me a scholarship book award at the 44th Maine Fishermen’s Forum. I am deeply grateful for the generosity of our fishing community, and I have immense pride in the hard work and dedication that made this fishing scholarship possible. I will be entering my senior year at Harvard College, and am thankful for the role that this award plays in reducing the financial burden of higher education.”

“I want to write and personally thank you for your scholarship through the Maine Fisherman’s Forum.  I received one of your $6,000 scholarships and I am so grateful for your generosity.

I am currently finishing my sophomore year at Grove City College in Western PA with a major in history and a minor in bible and religion.  I am a thirteenth-generation Mainer and a third-generation lobsterman.  My experience growing up on the coast of Maine surrounded by my family’s history is what prompted me to pursue history.

For as long as I can remember, I have been surrounded by the ocean and boats.  This summer, I am coming back to Maine to fish on my sister’s lobster boat in the Blue Hill area.

My sister and I grew up going to the Maine Fisherman’s Forum every year with my father and grandfather.  Those memories of driving to Rockland and running around the forum “talking shop” with the two of them are still some of my favorite memories.

I want to come back to Maine with my degree and start a business creating more comfortable marine gear.  In this way, I hope to invest in Maine’s future and build a stronger and more vibrant fishing industry.

Thank you for your generosity and for fueling my dreams.”