Deadline for scholarship applications set

  • Published
  • By Defense Commissary Agency Office of Corporate Communication
FORT LEE, Va --  Applications for the 2011 Scholarships for Military Children program must arrive at a commissary by close of business Feb. 22. Eligible students are reminded that their application materials must be completed and delivered by that date.

Scholarship applications are available in commissaries and online at http://www.commissaries.com - choose the "News & Info" tab and then the "Scholarship Info" tab. Applications are also available at http://www.militaryscholar.org. At least one $1,500 scholarship will be awarded at every commissary with qualified applicants.

A key component of the submission package is the essay on the following topic: "Our nation has a goal of improving health and wellness. What are your ideas and, more importantly, how do you propose to put these ideas into action in your local community?"

After more than a decade, the program continues to highlight the Defense Commissary Agency's support of the military family.

"There is no greater investment that anyone can make than in the future of our children," said Joseph H. Jeu, DeCA's director and CEO. "These scholarships are an example of commissaries, our industry partners and the American people working together to recognize the contributions of military families."

Through the donations of the general public and contributions from commissary vendors, manufacturers, brokers and suppliers, the program has awarded $8.3 million in scholarships to more than 5,400 children of service members.

Applicants must be a dependent, unmarried child, who is younger than 21, or 23 if enrolled as a full-time student at a college or university, of a service member on active duty, a reservist, guardsman or retiree, or survivor of a service member who died while on active duty or while receiving military retirement pay. The student must be planning to attend, or already be attending, an accredited college or university, full time in the fall of 2011 or be enrolled in a program of studies designed to transfer directly into a four-year program.

Eligibility is determined using the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System database. Applicants should ensure they, as well as their sponsor, are enrolled in the DEERS database and have a current military ID card.

Scholarship Managers, a national, nonprofit, scholarship-management services organization, manages and awards these military scholarships. For more information, call Scholarship Managers at 856-616-9311 or e-mail them at militaryscholar@scholarshipmanagers.com.