Savannah State University and the United States Coast Guard signed a Memorandum of Understanding  regarding outreach and recruitment of highly skilled students in the STEM fields. The signing ceremony on Thursday, April 26, 2 p.m., included SSU President Cheryl Davenport Dozier, SSU Provost Michael J. Laney, Ph.D., USCG Commander Albert Curry, Jr., and USCG Captain Bryan Durr.

The USCG College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative is a scholarship and officer training program which may pay up to two academic years of college tuition, books and essential supplies for full-time students. This includes undergraduate, graduate and recently graduated students. While enrolled at SSU, a CSPI candidate is enlisted in the USCG and will also receive the pay, allowances, entitlements and benefits of being an active duty USCG member.

The USCG is one of the oldest organizations of the federal government. Established in 1790, the Coast Guard served as the nation's only armed force on the sea until Congress launched the Navy Department eight years later. With a fleet of 243 Cutters, 201 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, and more than 1,600 boats, the Coast Guard is the principal Federal agency responsible for maritime safety, security, and environmental stewardship in U.S. ports and waterways.

SSU has supported military students since its founding in 1890. It is currently home to the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps, which has commissioned more than 230 officers into the Navy and Marine Corps since 1971. SSU also provides curriculum options for Army ROTC candidates based at Georgia Southern University.