From the DoDEA:

Scholarships for Military Children Program opens Dec. 7

By Tammy L. Reed, DeCA marketing and mass communication specialist

FORT LEE, VIRGINIA — As families and friends come together to celebrate their favorite winter holidays, it's also time for parents to remind students to apply for the 2011 Scholarships for Military Children program.

Scholarship applications will be available Dec. 7 in commissaries worldwide and online - choose the "News & Info" tab above and then the "Scholarship Info" tab. Applications are also available on www.militaryscholar.org.

Since the program was announced in 2000, it has awarded $8.3 million in scholarships to more than 5,400 children of service members.

"The Scholarships for Military Children program was created to recognize the contributions of military families to the readiness of the fighting force," said the Defense Commissary Agency's Acting Director and CEO Thomas E. Milks. "It also celebrates our role in the military community, as the scholarships are awarded annually through each commissary operated by DeCA."

Only dependent, unmarried children of active-duty service members, reservists, guardsmen, retirees, or survivors of service members who died on active duty or while receiving military retired pay, may apply for a scholarship. Applicants must also be younger than 21, or 23 if enrolled as a full-time student at a college or university. 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. An applicant 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.

Applicants must also submit an essay on the following topic that answers the question: "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?" Applications must be turned in to a commissary by close of business Feb. 22, 2011. At least one scholarship will be awarded at every commissary with qualified applicants.

Scholarship awards will be based on funds available, but the scholarship program anticipates awards of at least $1,500. If there are no eligible applicants from a particular commissary, the funds designated for that commissary will be awarded as an additional scholarship at another store.

Scholarship Managers, a national, nonprofit, scholarship-management services organization, manages and awards these military scholarships. If you have any questions about the scholarship program application, call Scholarship Managers at 856-616-9311 or email.

Commissary vendors, manufacturers, brokers, suppliers and the general public donate money to the program, and every dollar donated goes directly to funding the scholarships.

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. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. Shoppers save an average of more than 30 percent on their purchases compared to commercial prices - savings worth more than $4,400 annually for a family of four. 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. (here)

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H/T Jane