Scholarships for military children available

  • Published
  • By Carl Bergquist
  • Air University Public Affairs
The Defense Commissary Agency and Fisher House Foundation, Inc. are offering college scholarships to eligible children of military families through the Scholarships for Military Children Program.

The program was created to recognize the way military families contribute to the readiness of the fighting force and to celebrate the role of commissaries in the military community. The scholarship program is administered by Scholarship Management, a non-profit scholarship service organization, and is independent of DeCA and Fisher House.

"At least one $1,500 scholarship is awarded to each commissary location that receives applications," said Ami Hernandez, Maxwell Commissary director. "Unmarried children under the age of 23 are eligible, but they must be children of active-duty personnel, Reserve or National Guard members; survivors of service members who died while on active duty; or survivors of individuals who died while receiving retired pay from the military."

She said eligibility will be determined by the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System database, and applicants for scholarships should ensure they and their sponsors are enrolled in DEERS and have current identification cards. Those applying can verify DEERS enrollment by logging on to its Web site at www.dmdc.osd.mil.

Ms. Hernandez said applicants have to be enrolled, or plan to enroll, in a full-time educational program for fall 2008 at an accredited university or college, and that program must lead to earning a bachelor's degree. They must also have a cumulative grade point average minimum of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Students who receive appointments to U.S. military academies; a full scholarship to a college or university; or who plan to attend a community or junior college are not eligible for the scholarships, she said. Also, children of civilian employees in U.S. Public Health Service offices and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are not eligible.

In addition, scholarship money cannot be used at a later date, but must be used during the 2009-2010 academic year.

"The program begins on Nov. 3, and ends Feb. 18, 2009, and applications need to be mailed or hand-delivered to military commissaries," Ms. Hernandez said. "It is the sole responsibility of applicants to have them to commissaries by close of business Feb. 18. This is not a postmark date, but the date the commissary has to have the application in hand, and there are no exceptions to the rule. Also, applications may not be e-mailed or faxed to a commissary."

Applications are available at military commissaries, or as PDF or Word documents on the Scholarship Managers Web site at www.militaryscholar.org.

Additional information is available on the site in the "question and answer" section or by calling Ms. Hernandez at 953-7175.

Applicants may also e-mail militaryscholar@scholashipmanagers.com, or by telephoning the company at (856) 616-9311.