FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va, Dec. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applications have now opened for Fisher House Foundation’s Scholarships for Military Children program for academic year 2024 – 2025.
The program, entering its 24th year, recognizes the contributions of military families to the readiness of America’s fighting force and celebrates the commissary’s role in enhancing military quality of life.
Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping service members, veterans and their families, administers the program. The program has awarded more than $23,126,500 in scholarships over the last 23 years, selected from a pool of more than 117,500 applicants.
For scholarship year 2024-25, Fisher House Foundation will award 500 scholarship grants of $2,000 each. The selection process will begin immediately following the application deadline of Feb. 14, at 11:59 p.m. PST.
“With Scholarships for Military Children headed into its 24th year, it remains an honor and a pleasure for us at the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) to partner with a foundation so dedicated to the military community and families,” said Todd Heasley, DeCA’s scholarships program liaison. “It is a true blessing to see the investment in military children toward their ultimate success.”
Funding for the program comes from commissary business partners and other contributions to Fisher House Foundation designated specifically for scholarship programs.
“The Defense Commissary Agency has been an excellent partner in providing scholarships for the children of the men and women who make up our armed services,” said Ken Fisher, chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation. “We know that family members serve and sacrifice right alongside their service members.
“Thank you to the donors and supporters who join us in supporting these young members of our military community through our scholarship program,” he added.
Selection qualifications are straightforward. Requirements include completing the application; submission of the student’s official transcript indicating a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale for high school applicants, or college transcript indicating a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale for students already enrolled in college; and a 500-word essay. The subject of this year’s essay is listed at the militaryscholar.org website under “Scholarships for Military Children.”
Eligibility for the program is determined using the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System database. Applicants should ensure that they, as well as their sponsor, are enrolled in the DEERS database and have a current military dependent ID card. The applicant must also be planning to attend or already be attending an accredited college or university, full time, in the fall of 2024 or be enrolled in a program of studies designed to transfer directly into a four-year program.
Applicants who are awarded a full scholarship to attend a college or university or receive an appointment to one of the service academies or affiliated preparatory schools are not eligible to receive funds from this program. A full scholarship is usually defined as one that provides for payment of tuition, books, lab fees and other expenses.
All rules and requirements for the Scholarships for Military Children program, as well as links to frequently asked questions are available at militaryscholar.org.
“At the Defense Commissary Agency, we are deeply honored to engage in a great relationship with Fisher House Foundation,” said Command Master Chief Mario Rivers, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director. “This program is instrumental in fostering the educational ambitions of our military families’ children, enabling them to actualize their aspirations in higher learning. I emphatically recommend that families with eligible students capitalize on this exceptional opportunity to enhance their educational dreams.”
Fisher House Foundation also has a free, easy to use custom scholarship search engine tailored to military families called “Scholarships for Service.” It’s available for both mobile devices and desktop computers at militaryscholar.org.
-DeCA-
About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.
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