1. General Information.

The Fort Hood Area Military Family Member Scholarship Fund is an independent organization developed for the purpose of providing scholarships for deserving, eligible U.S. military family members. A special Selection Committee will nominate applicants based on the spouse’s academic record, job record, volunteer work, participation in community-based activities, letters of recommendation and a brief essay. Financial need is not considered. All properly submitted applications are reviewed and evaluated by the Selection Committee in accordance with the organization’s constitution and by-laws. All materials submitted remain confidential.
2. Eligibility For This Scholarship Program in Fort Hood Area.

a. The applicant must be:
1) the spouse of an active duty U.S. military sponsor assigned to Ft. Hood and residing in Bell, Coryell, Lampasas, or Williamson County, or
2) the spouse residing in Bell, Coryell, Lampasas, or Williamson County of an active duty U.S. military sponsor, or
3) the spouse of a deceased or retired active duty U.S. military sponsor residing in Bell, Coryell, Lampasas, or Williamson County.

b. “Active duty U.S. military sponsor” is defined as active-duty Regular Army or an Army Reservist who is activated at the time of application for scholarship or a National Guardsman who is activated at the time of application for scholarship.

c. The applicant must be a high school graduate or hold a valid high school equivalent.

d. The applicant must be accepted by an accredited institution of higher learning (i.e., college, vocational, or correspondence) or expect to be accepted by such an institution for an undergraduate/graduate degree. Persons pursuing a second undergraduate or graduate degree are NOT ELIGIBLE.

e. The applicant must possess a valid U.S. military identification card.

f. Active Duty service members are not eligible.

g. Those who have previously received a Fort Hood Area Military Family Member Scholarship are ineligible to apply. Those who have previously applied, but DID NOT RECEIVE a scholarship are eligible to re-apply.
3. Procedures.

Applicants must submit the following as a completed packet to be considered by the Selection Committee:

a. Completed Application Form. Use this year’s current Form. Do not send resumes, copies of awards, or diplomas. Provide only the information requested.

b. An essay, in 500 words or less, explained in your own words: Upon completion of this phase of your education, how do you see yourself applying this knowledge in the next 5-10 years ? See Application Form #13 for instructions.

c. Official college or vocational transcripts (if available) with an original signature or seal. No copies will be accepted.

d. Two (2) sealed letters of recommendation should be completed by persons unrelated to you who will attest to your motivation, character, and integrity.

e. Copy (front and back) of applicant’s current picture U.S. military ID card.

f. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that a completed packet, as listed above, is mailed with sufficient postage. Postage-due mail will not be accepted and will be returned to the Post Office. Hand-carried applications will not be accepted. Include applicant’s last 4 numbers of their Social Security Number on all application materials.

g. The completed packet must be postmarked by 26 March 2010 and mailed to:
Fort Hood Area Military Family Member Scholarship Fund

P. O. Box 5299
Fort Hood, Texas 76544

h. Incomplete applications are ineligible for consideration.

i. Questions? Call (254) 286-2334. If dialing from Ft. Hood: 9-286-2334. This is a voice mailbox. Please leave a message, your name and phone number and allow at least 48 hours for a response.

Or write FHAMFMSF, Box 5299, Fort Hood, Texas 76544.

4. Scholarship Awards.

Scholarships awarded must be used during the school year immediately
following the award. Funds available 1 July 2010 must be claimed not later than 26 February 2011. The Scholarship Committee will award funds directly to the institution of higher learning (not to individual recipients) in the recipient’s name upon verification of registration. Scholarship winners who accept a full four year scholarship (to include tuition, room and board) from another source must forfeit this scholarship and notify in writing the Ft. Hood Area Military Family Member Scholarship Fund Committee of their decision by 1 October 2010. Scholarship selections are made at the end of April and scholarship recipients will be notified no later than mid-May 2010.

Since its first conception, the G.I. Bill has undergone many changes. It has come to be a show piece for all military services and a major draw for enlistments across the board. The new GI Bill is no exception. With the policy changes there are many questions. With the newest GI Bill, the Post 9/11 GI Bill and its change of transferability policy has lead to a great response. The ability of a military member to transfer their educational benefits to a spouse or child is something that many have waited for.

Effective August 1, 2009, the ability, for the first time, to transfer benefits became available. This allows a qualified service member to take their educational benefits and transfer them to immediate family for their use. This would allow 36 months of educational benefits to be used by a spouse or a child of a service member. This applies to all service and service members that qualify Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and other DoD service members. Talk is in the works so that in the future, more Guardsmen may be covered under this policy as well.

The military has long been a staunch advocate of continuing education. Many soldiers that are on a career path have already obtained, or are working on their degrees with the help of programs that the service provides to active duty personnel. They may have enlisted for the educational benefits. They now have the ability to provide that benefit to their family members.

Benefits can be transferred to spouses. Spouses can use the benefit immediately. This means that a military member that is on active duty can transfer their unused benefits to a spouse. That spouse can than immediately start their college education. A spouse has up to 15 years to use the benefit.

A dependent child can also use this program. They have to be 18 or have their high school diploma before they can use the benefit though the service member may transfer to them before that. There is no time limit as to how long they have to use the benefit, but they must use it before reaching the age of 26.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides 36 months of education benefits. This provides for tuition and any incidentals that are associated with school. This means, books, computers, software or anything else that may be deemed as needed for the class is covered. When transferred to a spouse or a dependent child, they also qualify for a monthly living stipend.
Transferability does not have to be to a spouse or to a child.

A service member does not have to pick one or the other. The service member can transfer their benefits to one or more qualifying family members. A spouse and several different children can use the educational benefits. Once benefits are transferred, the marriage of a child or the divorce of a spouse does not affect the benefits. The service member however, can revoke them if they desire to do so.

With the many changes to educational benefits the military has seen, GI Bill transferability was the most requested. President Obama stands behind this furthering of commitment to the military.