Student Incentive Payment (SIP) Program

A stipend of up to $64,000 for Strategic Sealift Midshipmen

The Student Incentive Payments (SIP) Program is a federally funded initiative through the Maritime Administration (MARAD). The Program provides financial support to cadets enrolled in the Strategic Sealift Midshipmen Program (SSMP) at Cal Maritime who will become licensed officers in the U.S. Merchant Marine.  Upon graduating, officers become part of the Navy's Strategic Sealift Officer Force.

As an incentive to become licensed officers in the U.S. Merchant Marine, MARAD provides a limited number of SIP to be awarded to eligible students. It is a voluntary program designed to assist in defraying the cost of tuition, uniforms, books, and subsistence in return for certain obligations on the part of the program midshipmen. SIP is available to SSMP midshipmen with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 after one semester at Cal Maritime.

On Dec. 22, 2023, the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law authorizing payments of up to $64,000 per eligible SIP enrollee, an increase from previous payments of up to $32,000. 

The following payment plan will apply to all SIP recipients who enroll in the program during FY2024:

For questions regarding Cal Maritime's SIP Program, contact SIP Coordinator Bessie Alaniz. For more information about the SIP Program, visit MARAD's website.