Vet News: Scholarships for Military Children Deadline Feb. 18

January 23, 2004 -- Didn’t find any "college cash" in your stocking? Don’t worry. There’s still time to apply for Scholarships for Military Children money. Applications for the $1,500 scholarships are due at the nearest commissary by close of business Feb. 18.

At least one scholarship will be awarded at every commissary location with qualified applicants.

The application can be downloaded through a link on the front page of http://www.commissaries.com/ or downloaded directly from http://www.militaryscholar.org/ and filled out by hand or on the computer. Copies of the application are also available at commissaries worldwide.

Students should put on their thinking caps and give it their best shot when it comes to writing the scholarship essay. "In past years the essay has been a key factor in deciding among the many outstanding applicants," said program liaison Edna Hoogewind, Defense Commissary Agency. This year’s topic is "What aspect of military life has had the greatest influence on you?"

Applications must be in the store by close of business on Feb. 18, and students who are not hand-delivering applications are advised to use a delivery method that supplies a return receipt.

After March 29, applicants may visit the military scholar link and click on the "Verification of Receipt" section. Scholarship managers will respond to "Verification of Receipt" e-mails until June 15.

Applicants should check all materials carefully for simple things, like making sure the application is signed or that it’s the 2004 application, not one from previous years.

The scholarship program is open to unmarried children under the age of 21 (23 if enrolled in school) of active duty personnel, Reserve, Guard and retired military. Eligibility will be determined using the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) database. Applicants should ensure that they, as well as their sponsor, are currently enrolled in the DEERS database and have a current ID card.

The applicant must be planning to attend, or already attending, an accredited college or university full-time in the fall term of 2004, or enrolled in a program of studies designed to transfer directly into a four-year program. Additional instructions can be found on the application or at the military scholar web site listed above.

Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit organization best known for building comfort homes near military medical facilities, administers the Scholarships for Military Children program. Fisher House Foundation uses the services of Scholarship Managers, a professional firm that has handled more than 400 programs, to screen applicants and award scholarships. Neither Fisher House nor DeCA are involved in the decision process.

The Scholarships for Military Children program has awarded nearly 1,500 scholarships and nearly$2 million since the first awards in 2001. Scholarships are funded through the voluntary donations of the various manufacturers, brokers and suppliers that sell products in commissaries.

Source: VNIS, Air Force Retiree News Service