MAE 2009 Volume: 4 Issue: 5 (September/October)
Applications Sought at Militaryscholar.org
The Scholarships for Military Children program will begin accepting applications for 2010 scholarships on November 1 at its Website, located at www.militaryscholar.org. The group awarded 625 scholarships worth $1,500 each to children of servicemembers this year, and over the past nine years has awarded more than $7.3 million in scholarships. “The applicants’ grade-point averages are really high, so we also look at the number of school and community activities, extracurricular and volunteer activities, and part- or full-time work experience,” said Bernard Coté, president of Scholarship Managers, which administers the program on behalf of the nonprofit Fisher House Foundation. “Of course, the applicants submit an essay that is a very important element as well.”
Marine Scholarship Created at UAlbany
The Marine Corps Coordinating Council of New York Capital Region donated $75,000 to create the Marine Sergeant William D. Powers Scholarship at the State University of New York’s University at Albany. Administered by the University at Albany Foundation, the scholarship will support a University at Albany student who is either currently enlisted in the Marine Corps as an active or Reserve Marine, or has been honorably discharged from the USMC.
A former Marine sergeant with five years of active duty, Powers is the honorary chairman of the group donating the money. He is currently head of a local lobbying and business development firm and from 1991 to 2001 was chairman of the state Republican Committee.
Texas A&M Aids Vets’ Children
Texas A&M University alumni Ann and S. Ray Huffines, class of 1974, donated $25,000 to the Texas A&M Foundation to endow a new scholarship for incoming freshmen at the school who are disabled veterans or are the children of military personnel killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Funds from the Ann and S. Ray Huffines ’74 Military Appreciation Scholarship will be available to recipients for up to four years. S. Ray Huffines is owner and CEO of Huffines Auto Dealerships in the Dallas area and is a past chairman of the Plano, Texas, Chamber of Commerce.
FRA Seeking 2010 Applications
The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) said applications for FRA scholarships for the 2010–2011 school year were expected to be available online at www.fra.org/scholarship starting on September 1.
The Alexandria, Va.-based FRA, which lobbies on behalf of current and former enlisted members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, said it awarded nearly $100,000 in scholarships this year to members, their spouses, children and grandchildren who are pursing postsecondary education.
Scholarships were awarded to 23 students this year. As part of its scholarship program, the FRA plans to announce a new education foundation at its 82nd National Convention in October 2009.
Around the Country
Phoenix, Ariz.-based Dunlap-Stone University (DSU) announced the DSU Military Scholarship Program, which covers 25 percent of the cost of tuition that, combined with Montgomery GI Bill tuition assistance, generally means no cost for militaryrelated students to attend.
Boeing donated $25,000 in college scholarships for students seeking financial aid from ThanksUSA, which supports postsecondary education for children and spouses of active-duty military personnel. Eight Boeing/ThanksUSA scholarships will be awarded to six engineering and two political science students. Twelve students at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville received a total of $70,000 in scholarships from the Pat Tillman Foundation this year, more than any of the other universities working with the foundation. The foundation this year awarded scholarships to 52 students at various schools.
The College of Lake County Foundation in Graylake, Ill., now offers $1,000 scholarships for injured servicemembers and their spouses attending the school.
Full Tuition for UVA Law
The University of Virginia announced that up to five veterans will be eligible for full-tuition scholarships to its law school, as part of UVA’s participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program. The scholarships are valued at $12,800 for Virginia residents and $15,300 for nonresidents and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for incoming and returning students.
MBA students at UVA’s Darden School of Business will also be eligible for Yellow Ribbon matching funds. Other schools participating in the Yellow Ribbon program in Virginia include Virginia Commonwealth University, Washington & Lee University, George Washington University, the College of William and Mary, and George Mason University. ♦