More Scholarships Available For Military Children

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Throughout the year many scholarships are available specifically for military children.  Even though it is getting late in the school year, there are still some options available.  Some options include spouses.  Not all application deadlines have passed.


This is by no means a comprehensive list of scholarships with deadlines still open, but hopefully this will serve to point you in the right direction.


Military children eligible for essay scholarships

College and college-bound children of military members are invited to apply for $1,000 scholarships through Homefront America's American Patriot Freedom Scholarship Program. Twenty-five scholarships will be given.


Applicants must submit an essay of 500 words or less on one of four topics: "Why I love my country"; "Challenge(s) in my life and how I overcame it/them"; "Of all that my dad/mom have done for me, I am most thankful for ..." ; or, "My number one American hero."


Essays will be judged on originality, length, relationship to topic, grammar and spelling.


Persons ages 16-21 are eligible. They must be children of active-duty, disabled or fallen servicemembers, retirees and activated or deployed guardsmen and reservists.


Deadline for applying is May 30.


Applications are available to download at: www.homefrontamerica.org.

2008 ThanksUSA Scholarship

Who is eligible for the scholarships?


All dependent children, age 24 and under (as of the 5/15/08 application deadline), and all spouses of active-duty U.S. military service personnel are eligible to apply for scholarships with ThanksUSA®.


ThanksUSA defines "Active-duty U.S. military personnel" as those who have served in active duty for at least 180 days since 9/11/01, including all those who have been killed or wounded in action. "U.S. military personnel" are defined as members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. Members of the military reserves who have been activated to full-time duty and members of the National Guard who have been federalized and who otherwise meet the requirements are both eligible.


Dependent children are defined as natural and legally adopted children or stepchildren living in the military service member's household and/or primarily supported financially by the service member.


Applicants must plan to enroll full-time in an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, vocational school or technical school. They must also have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent on their relevant academic record (e.g., high-school record for incoming freshmen or post-secondary school record for those already enrolled in a college, university or vocational/technical school).


Awardees are required to comply with all academic and institutional rules, regulations and guidelines and to abide by all governing laws. Awardees who do not attend, who drop out or who are expelled will forfeit their grant. Further, awards will not be deferred for any reason. However, eligible applicants may apply in subsequent years if ThanksUSA is offering the same scholarship program at that point.


What are the criteria for the awards?


Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of financial need, academic record and demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities. Preference will be given to children or spouses of service personnel killed or injured during active duty.


How much are the awards?


If selected as a recipient, the student will receive an award of $3,000. Payments are made in two equal installments on August 15 and December 30.


How many scholarships will be awarded this year?


ThanksUSA plans to award 500 scholarships this year.


Can I use the award for graduate study?


The awards are for undergraduate study at accredited two-year or four-year college, university, vocational school or technical school only and NOT for graduate study.


What are the important deadlines to keep in mind?


The scholarship application period began on April 1, 2008, and the postmark deadline is May 15, 2008, or until 3,000 applications are received (whichever occurs first). If 3,000 applications are received before May 15, 2008, then a notice will be posted on the home page of this site.


Recipients will be informed during July, 2008, that they have been awarded a scholarship. More specific information will be provided at that time related to the timing of award payments and other matters.

Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund


College Tuition Assistance Available for Children of Troops Killed or Permanently Disabled Defending our Nation


(Dulles, VA) - The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund today announced the application period has opened for the 2008-2009 academic year. The Fund has awarded more than $1.7 million to the children of U.S. service members who have been killed or permanently disabled in an operational mission or training accident.


"The purpose of this scholarship is two fold. First, we want to advance the educational opportunities for the sons and daughters of our brave military personnel who have been killed or permanently disabled defending this nation," Freedom Alliance President Tom Kilgannon stated today. "Second, this scholarship honors the service of those courageous individuals and reminds their loved ones that their parents sacrifice will never be forgotten by a grateful nation."


Over the years, the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund has provided hundreds of college scholarships to students whose parents have been killed or permanently disabled in such conflicts as the Persian Gulf War, the liberation of Grenada, and the 1983 terrorist attack on the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut. More recently, Freedom Alliance provided scholarship assistance to the dependent children of military personnel who were killed in the October, 2000 terrorist attack on the USS Cole, the September 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.


In order to be eligible an applicant must be the dependent son or daughter of a U.S. soldier, sailor, airman, Marine or Guardsman who has been killed or permanently disabled (100% VA disability rating) as a result of an operational mission or training accident , or who is currently classified as a Prisoner of War (POW) or Missing in Action (MIA). They must also be a high school senior, high school graduate, or registered as a full time undergraduate student and under the age of 26.


To learn more about the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund and/or to apply please visit www.fascholarship.com or call 800-475-6620. The application deadline for the 2008-2009 academic year is July 18, 2008.

You can also request a free copy of 2008 Children's Scholarship Handbook, along with many other handbooks here.  OR, you can simply download a copy here.  It's not too late to apply for a few scholarships this year and it is never too early to begin planning for next year.


Military.com has a great tool - Scholarship Finder - that you can find and utilize here.


Also check with your specific service, school liaisons, local and installation clubs as well as service related organizations.  Some deadlines have not passed.  You still have time to apply for several scholarships.  You can find a very useful list here


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