Report highlights expanding career opportunities—but says access to financial aid remains unevenThe United States has no shortage of maritime career opportunities. What it does have, according to a new report from the
Report highlights expanding career opportunities—but says access to financial aid remains uneven
The United States has no shortage of maritime career opportunities.
What it does have, according to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), is a fragmented training and financial aid system that can make entering the profession more difficult than it should be.
In its report issued earlier this year, Mariner Training: Maritime Administration Should Share More Information About Financial Aid and Careers, the GAO examines the nation's mariner training infrastructure, federal financial aid programs and the Maritime Administration's (MARAD) efforts to grow the workforce amid continued concerns over a national mariner shortage.
By the Numbers
- 200,000 – Approximate number of Americans holding valid Merchant Mariner Credentials as of 2023. MARAD continues to warn that additional credentialed mariners will be needed to meet commercial shipping and strategic sealift requirements.
- 20,451 – Applications for original Merchant Mariner Credentials submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard in 2024, up sharply from pandemic-era lows and evidence that interest in maritime careers is rebounding.
- 204 – U.S. institutions offering Coast Guard-approved mariner training, including seven maritime academies, 23 colleges and universities, 106 private training centers, four union schools and 64 other providers.
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