Scholarships for Military Children

FORT LEE, Va. – As the Scholarships for Military Children Program enters its 15^th year, more than 8,000 students have shared nearly $13 million in scholarships. Applications for the 2015-2016 school-year awards become available starting Dec. 15 at commissaries worldwide or on the Internet at http://www.militaryscholar.org.

As one of last year’s recipients said, the scholarship will help her fulfill her dream of becoming a surgeon. “Receiving your scholarship makes me more determined to attain high academic standards and accomplish my dream,” the student wrote in a letter to the Defense Commissary Agency. “Thank you again for your generosity and believing in me.”

Starting last year, each award amount rose to $2,000 from the previous $1,500, and the program awards at least one scholarship at each commissary with qualified applicants.
An applicant must be a dependent, unmarried child, younger than 21 — or 23, if enrolled as a full-time student at a college or university — of a service member on active duty, Reserve or Guard member, retiree or survivor of a military member who died while on active duty, or survivor of a retiree.

Applications must be turned in to a commissary by close of business Feb. 13, 2015. Packages must be hand-delivered or shipped via U.S. Postal Service or other delivery methods, not emailed or faxed.

Applicants should ensure that they and their sponsor are enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System database and have a military ID card. The applicant must attend or plan to attend an accredited college or university, full time, in the fall of 2015 or be enrolled in studies designed to transfer to a four-year program.
Applicants who are awarded a full scholarship or receive an appointment to one of the military 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.

Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps service members and their families, administers the program. Scholarship Managers, a national, nonprofit, scholarship management services organization, manages and awards the scholarships.
Commissary partners and the general public donate money to the program; every dollar donated goes directly to funding scholarships. Supporters are recognized at four levels of donations, with Four Star business partners contributing more than $50,000 annually, and One Star donors giving between $2,000 and under $10,000.

For more information, students or sponsors should call Scholarship Managers at 856-616-9311 or email them at militaryscholar@scholarshipmanagers.com.
-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 and make no profit on the sale of merchandise. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. By shopping regularly in the commissary, patrons save an average of 30 percent or more on their purchases compared to commercial prices – savings amounting to thousands of dollars annually. 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.


Stay Connected to Your Commissary Benefit
COMMISSARIES.COM: Visit www.commissaries.com to learn more about the Defense Commissary Agency: check out the latest news, find a store near you, see what's on sale, create a shopping list, learn of food and product recalls, scan employment opportunities, read frequently asked questions, submit a customer comment form online through DeCA's Your Action Line and more.

COMMISSARY CONNECTION: Stay connected with the latest news about your most valued benefit, Hot Links to additional savings, shopping sprees, contests, commissary promotions, events and more, go to www.commissaries.com/subscribe.cfm and subscribe to the Commissary Connection newsletter.

FACEBOOK: Visit www.facebook.com/YourCommissary, DeCA’s Facebook page, where you can post comments and share news, photos and videos.

YOUTUBE: To see DeCA’s latest videos, visit www.youtube.com/DefenseCommissary.

TWITTER: To see DeCA’s latest "tweets," visit www.twitter.com/YourCommissary.

PINTEREST: To see DeCA’s theme-based image collections, visit http://www.pinterest.com/YourCommissary.

FLICKR: To see DeCA’s latest photographs, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/commissary/.