EDUCATION RESOURCES Youth & Young Adult Options Scholarships for Military Children Program Over the past 15 years, commissaries have awarded more than $16 million in scholarships to more than 8,012 military children. The Scholarships for Military Children Program was created to recognize military families’ contributions to the readiness of the fighting force and to celebrate the commissary’s role in the military family community. At least one $2,000 scholarship is awarded at every commissary location that receives qualified applications. More than one scholarship per commissary may be available based on the response and funding. The scholarship provides for payment of tuition, books, lab fees and other college-related expenses. To be eligible, applicants must: Be under age 23 Be a dependent, unmarried child of active-duty personnel, Reserve Component members, National Guard and retired military members, survivors of service members who died while on active duty or survivors of individuals who died while receiving retired pay from the military Ensure that they and their sponsor are currently enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS database) Have a current dependent military ID card Be enrolled or plan to enroll in a full-time undergraduate degree program at an accredited U.S. college or university in the fall term (Students attending a community or junior college must be enrolled in a program of studies that allows them to transfer directly into a four-year program.) Have a minimum, unweighted grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) Heroes' Legacy Scholarships The Heroes’ Legacy Scholarship honors those who fell in battle and all who died or became disabled through their active military service since Sept. 11, 2001. Over 1.8 million in scholarships have been awarded in the first five years of the program. To be eligible, applicants must: Be a child with one parent who died while serving on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, in any branch or component of the U. S. Armed Forces, or Be a child with one parent who became disabled while serving on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001 (which means the parent qualified to receive traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance), or be a child with one parent who was on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, and received a permanent and total compensation rating of 100 percent from the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs Be under age 23 Be enrolled or plan to enroll full time in the fall term in an accredited U.S. college, university, or junior or community college Have a minimum cumulative unweighted grade point average of 2.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) Be a dependent, unmarried children of active-duty personnel, Reserve Component members, the National Guard or retired military members Applications become available in mid-December for the following year. To apply, download the application from the Fisher House website. Applications are due in mid-March. Detailed information and due dates can be found in FAQs on the Fisher House website. EDUCATION RESOURCES Completed application packages must be mailed to Scholarship Managers, an independent, professional scholarship service. The completed application package consists of: The two-page application A transcript or copy of grades A typed essay of 500 words or less, double-spaced and not longer than two pages (essay topics vary) You may apply to both scholarships as long as you meet the criteria for both. Recipient selection. Scholarship Managers selects the recipients based on the following criteria: Academic achievement Participation in school, community and volunteer activities Work experience Submitted essay Additional Scholarships The Iowa War Orphans Scholarship provides financial assistance to the children of military personnel who were killed in combat. Applicants must have maintained an Iowa residency for at least 2 years, and must be enrolled at an approved state college, university or technical school. The annual award is $600. Students may reapply every year in which they meet eligibility requirements. Total lifetime awards can not exceed $3000. The Minnesota State War Orphans Education Program provides tuition assistance to the biological or adopted children of military servicemen and women who have been killed in combat, or who have died as a result of wounds received while in combat. Applicants must be current residents of Minnesota, and must be attending an approved state college, university or technical school. Annual awards are $750. The scholarships is non- renewable, though students may reapply every year in which they meet eligibility requirements. The Montana Department of Military Affairs supports a number of programs for the dependent children of military service personnel.Current programs include Scholarships for the Dependents of POW/MIA’s and Scholarships for the Children of Deceased Veterans. Applicants must be residents of Montana, and must be enrolled at an accredited state college or university. The Texas Hazlewood Act provides up to 150 hours of tuition assistance to the dependent children of military veterans who were killed while on active duty. Applicants must be residents of the state of Texas, and must be between the ages of 18 and 25. To be eligible, students must not be receiving any other Federal Veteran Education Benefits. The Survivors and Dependents Assistance Program is supported by the U.S. Army, and offers financial assistance to the dependent children of Army personnel who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty. The program also provides financial aid to children of personnel listed as missing in action, or declared prisoners of war. The program provides 45 hours of tuition assistance to eligible students enrolled in approved undergraduate, graduate or vocational studies. The General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant Program provides financial assistance to the college-bound children of active-duty and retired Air Force personnel. Awards are determined on the basis of need. Maximum grant allowances currently stand at $2000. The Scholarship for Air Force Enlisted Member’s Dependent Children is supported by the Air Force Sergeants Association and the Airmen Memorial Foundation. The program provides scholarships to the EDUCATION RESOURCES children of active-duty, retired and veteran Air Force personnel. Awards are determined by academic achievement, and community service. Scholarship amounts range from $500 to $3000. The NMCRS Gold Star Scholarship is supported by the Navy-Marine Corp Relief Society. The scholarship program provides financial assistance to the children of Navy and Marine personnel who were killed in the line of duty. Applicants must demonstrate the requisite level of financial need, and must have a minimum 2.0 GPA. Awards range from $500 to $2500 per academic year. The Post 9/11 G.I. Bill & Marine Gunnery Sgt. John David Fry Scholarship is sponsored in cooperation with the Freedom Alliance. The scholarship provides educational benefits to the children of military personnel who were killed, or disabled, in the line of duty after September 10, 2001. Awards amounts vary, and can be applied at any accredited college, university or technical school. DOD PROGRAMS Resource: Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) This program connects federal and private sector employers with college students and recent graduates with disabilities seeking summer or permanent employment. Resource: Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness This clearinghouse helps providers identify, select, and implement evidence-based programs and practices to address wide-ranging family and mental health issues. Resource: Helping Military Parents Keep their Children Safe This website provides information on the Safe and Sound Campaign to connect military parents, service providers, and leaders to resources on parenting skills and child abuse and neglect prevention. DoDEA Virtual High School The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) offers a Virtual High School (DVHS), which provides more than 70 online courses to students in DoDEA secondary schools. www.MyFuture.com This site helps young adults plan their next steps in life by bringing together the most recently available information about colleges, careers and military services. Designed primarily for individuals between 16 and 24, the site features information drawn and collated from the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Defense, Education and Labor. The Volunteer Clearinghouse The Volunteer Clearinghouse serves the Corps of Engineers nationwide to link potential volunteers with Park Rangers at lakes and waterways that need them. It provides information about the volunteer program and directs people to the point of contact, usually a Park Ranger, at the lake or location of interest. EDUCATION RESOURCES Online Community for Children of Military Families MilitaryKidsConnect.org, a Department of Defense-sponsored website, features content for children, tweens, and teens of military families. The site provides an online community that allows these young people to support one another while learning coping and resilience-building skills. National Guard Youth Challenge Program The mission of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program is to intervene in and reclaim the lives of at-risk youth to produce program graduates with the values, skills, education and self-discipline necessary to succeed as adults. MilitaryKidsConnect.org This Department of Defense-sponsored website