Alaska State Legislature

News for the House Majority

Legislation Will Attract Alaskans To Careers In Fisheries

Winn Brindle Memorial Scholarship Enhanced

For Immediate Release: February 17, 1997 Contact: Kyle Johansen (907) 465-3424

JUNEAU - Representative Bill Williams (D-Saxman) introduced legislation on February 10th that should attract more of Alaska's high school graduates to a career in the seafood industry. The bill would allow 100% forgiveness to recipients of a Winn Brindle memorial scholarship loan. Currently, recipients are forgiven 10% per year for the first five years after graduation if they work in their degree field in the state of Alaska. The legislation proposes a one-fifth forgiveness of loan principal per year during the same five year period. The five other memorial scholarship funds the state has established have the 100% forgiveness clause.

The Winn Brindle memorial scholarship fund was created to help students pursue a certificate or degree program in an accredited school, college, or university in fisheries, fishery science, fishery management, seafood processing, food technology, or other closely related field. The fund has a current balance of over $1,500,000 that could be loaned out. In the 1996/1997 school year approximately $316,000 was loaned out to 32 students, 81% of which attend college in state.

"We are facing many challenges in the seafood industry today and we will face many more in the future. The State needs resources to draw upon to solve these problems. One of the most valuable resources is the human resource. We need qualified, trained professionals to guide our future seafood industry. Making the loan program more attractive to students is one way to strengthen and broaden our base of knowledge." said Representative Williams.

He added "There is no reason to have a pot of money just sitting there doing nothing. It is there for a reason and we should capitalize on the situation. When it comes right down to it there is no substitute for having knowledgeable Alaskans, with a stake in our state, as the professionals we rely on when we have seafood related issues on the table."

The Winn Brindle memorial scholarship is funded through private donations and is administered by the Alaska Department of Post Secondary Education. House Bill 121 will have its first hearing on Thursday in its only committee of referral, the House Committee on Health/Education and Social Services.

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