Learn more about the scholarship:

How to Apply

1. The deadline for scholarship applications is June 15, 2026.
2. Refer to criteria on the next page for eligibility requirements.
3. Refer to application process on the next page for a list of the supporting documents needed (i.e., reference, transcript, etc.).  Incomplete applications will not be considered.
4. If any question does not apply to you in this application, please put N/A in the space.
5. Type or print legibly.  Illegible applications will not be considered.
6. You will be notified by email by the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture’s Academic Coordinator if you are selected by August 1, 2026.

Eligibility Criteria

Recipients must:

1. Be pursuing an Engineering degree at Washington State University at Olympic College in Bremerton, WA. 
2. Be full time (24 credits/year) WSU student with junior or senior standing. 
3. Have a minimum of a 3.4 grade point average (GPA) in core classes or Engineering classes as defined by the WSU Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture.
4. Be residents of Kitsap, Mason, Jefferson, or the portion of Pierce County north of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (for at least three of the last five years).
5. Be US Citizens or lawful resident aliens.

Limitations

1. Students whose education is being paid for or reimbursed by their employer are not eligible for the scholarship.
2. Students with a juvenile or criminal record are not eligible for the scholarship.
3. Scholarships are for one year.  A second year of scholarship support is possible but not guaranteed.  Previous recipients will not receive preference and must complete an application to reapply.

Interviews

Prior to selection, all finalists for the Robert B. Stewart Memorial Scholarship will be interviewed by a member of the Award Selection committee.  (This interview must be “face-to-face” and may be via video conference.)

Scholarship Applicants

Applicants must submit the following items:

1. Completed standard University Scholarship application. If you have not applied (deadline was in January) you are still eligible to apply for the Robert B. Stewart Memorial Scholarship.
2. Completed and signed scholarship application form.
3. An essay (limited to one page maximum) on the topic “What are your goals and why did you choose this career?”
4. Letters of recommendation. Two letters of recommendation are required. One of the two letters must be a personal reference (i.e., church affiliations, family friends, coaches, boy scout/girl scout troop leader) and the second letter should be from either an employer or a college faculty member.
5. A brief essay on the topic “What are your goals and why did you choose this career?” (it is acceptable to duplicate some of the material that have been provided in conjunction with the prompts above).
6. Recommendation letters from employers, college faculty, and/or personal references.
7. A current WSU transcript, if applicable, as well as transcript from other post-secondary institutions from which college credit has been obtained.

Scholarship Requirements

Scholarship recipients must agree to the following requirements:

1. The scholarship recipients agree to learn about investing during the school year for which the scholarship is received whether it is through a college course or self-study and to provide a written synopsis of what they learned to the academic coordinator, Melissa Luatua, by April 1 of the following year.  The synopsis will be shared with the Stewart Trust trustees.
2. The scholarship recipients must write his or her short-term (1 year) and long-term (5 year) goals and carry them at all time. (The requirement is for the recipient to be reminded of his or her goals but recipients need not share these with anyone unless the recipient chooses to do so.  The goals can be revised as deemed appropriate.)
3. Provide a copy of academic transcript to the academic coordinator that will be shared with the Stewart Trust trustees for each year the scholarship is received (an unofficial transcript is acceptable).
4. Scholarship recipients will be required to write a thank you letter and submit it to the academic coordinator before funds are distributed.
5. Read the book The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman and write a short essay on how the recipient expects to be competitive and contribute in an ever-changing world.  This essay is to be delivered to the academic coordinator by the start of the Spring semester falling the awarding of a scholarship in the Fall semester.  This essay will be shared with the Stewart Trust trustees.
6. Failure to adhere to any of these requirements will result in the loss of the scholarship.

Who is Robert B. Stewart?

Robert (Bob) B. Stewart moved to the Northwest area as a young man in his mid-teens with little more than the shirt on his back and was on his own from that time on.  After serving in the Army during WW II, he worked for Boeing, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and at the Naval Torpedo Station Keyport for several years.  Bob then served as the Finance Commissioner for the City of Bremerton and afterwards became a stockbroker.  Bob was instrumental in the early Kitsap Federal Credit Union operations and went on to start and manage the successful Olympic Savings and Loan Association. 

Anyone who knew Bob knows that his passions were investing, dancing, and his legendary reputation for being frugal.  Bob had a gift for interpreting financial numbers.  As an investor, Bob helped numerous people get started in investing and formed several investment clubs over the years.  He freely shared his financial knowledge with others and especially liked to help young people learn about investing. 

Bob believed in personal responsibility and strongly believed that people should learn how to invest because investing can change their lives just as it did his.  Bob was also an avid dancer, winning many dance contests and enjoyed going to the Community Theater plays.  He had a quick wit and always displayed a pleasing personality.  Bob was pleased to be able to help young people prepare for their future in a more competitive world through investing in their education.  Bob was always passionate about “investing for the future.”  He considered his scholarship endowments to be investments in the future and he was very pleased to make a difference in young people’s lives.