We have devoted a lot of print to the fierce battles Democrats fought with the McCain-Bush team to provide a decent GI Bill for our troops. The bill finally passed with some great education benefits for our troops. Such benefits can run into the tens-of-thousands of dollars for an individual.
But how about the spouses of active duty and retired military?
The new GI Bill includes a benefit transferability clause whereby certain service members can transfer certain benefits to a spouse or dependent child.
Today, I received an announcement from my military retiree service about an organization that I knew little about, the National Military Family Association, announcing scholarship opportunities for spouses of active duty and retired military.
The scholarship amount is not big—especially these days of sky mounting education costs, but as the saying goes, every little bit helps.
I don’t know how many of our readers are ex-military or military dependents, but if there is some reaction and interest in these matters, I’ll continue to post them.
Here is the message:
Scholarships help retiree spouses finish education
WASHINGTON (AFRNS) — Retiree spouses with an eye on professional certification or a post-secondary education may not have to foot the entire bill, thanks to a National Military Family Association scholarship program.
The group is accepting applications for its annual Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to spouses or surviving spouses of servicemembers on active duty or in the National Guard or reserves and spouses of military retirees.
The $500 to $1,000 scholarships can be used for tuition, fees, and school room and board while the spouse obtains professional certification or attends post-secondary or graduate school.
Funding determines the number of scholarships awarded each year. A partnership with the Fisher House and Folds of Honor foundations has resulted in a larger number of scholarships.
Scholarship selection is based on answers to survey questions used to help the association advocate for education changes on the applicant’s behalf.
Applications are accepted online only, through the National Military Family Association Web site, www.nmfa.org, and must be submitted before midnight Feb. 1.
Association officials said they started the scholarship program to recognize that unique challenges, including frequent moves and deployments, can interfere with military spouses’ ability to complete their education. The association also has created a Web portal at www.nmfa.org/SpouseEd that is stocked with military spouse education resources and information to help spouses reach their career and educational goals. (Courtesy of American Forces Press Service from a National Military Family Association news release)
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.