AER scholarships help family members succeed, including at Fort McCoy

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Fort McCoy Army Community Service Financial Readiness Program Manager Bobby Kim works on planning items for the 2020 Army Emergency Relief campaign Jan. 15, 2020, at building 2111 at Fort McCoy, Wis. Kim also serves as an Army Emergency Relief officer with ACS and the campaign for Army Emergency Relief begins March 1. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

01.24.2020

Story by Scott Sturkol                                                                                          

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

Every year, many Army family members are recipients of college scholarships from Army Emergency Relief (AER).

Bobby T. Kim, Fort McCoy AER officer with Army Community Service, said the AER scholarship program helps reduce the financial burden of college.

“AER scholarships are important to our community in continued support of the ‘Soldier for Life’ concept we promised to our Soldiers in the Army,” Kim said. “Getting a college education has been more expensive than ever for Army families with an average of 300 percent increase in costs for public colleges the last 20 years. The AER scholarship program eases the financial burdens of our active-duty and retired Soldiers by providing $500 to $3,400 scholarships per year toward an undergraduate degree program. AER scholarships do not pay for the whole undergraduate education; however, any amount paid toward that education for a family is a relief and less amount to borrow in student loans.”

AER has the Patty Shinseki Spouse Scholarship Program for Army spouses and the Maj. Gen. James Ursano Scholarship Program for children of military families.

The Patty Shinseki Spouse Scholarship Program is a need-based scholarship program established to assist spouses of Army Soldiers in obtaining an undergraduate degree, according to AER. Applicants may receive assistance for up to four academic years of full-time study or eight academic years of part-time study, but must reapply each year. Spouses may apply year-round. There is no deadline date to apply.

The award amounts for the Patty Shinseki Spouse Scholarship Program vary each year based on the number of applicants, total approved scholarship budget, the applicant’s expected family contribution reported on the Federal Application for Financial Student Aid, and the average cost of attendance to attend a college or university in the United States as provided by the College Board.

The Maj. Gen. James Ursano Scholarship Program for dependent children is also a need-based scholarship program established to assist children of Army Soldiers in obtaining their first undergraduate degree, states www.aerhq.org. Applicants must reapply each year and may receive assistance for up to four academic years as long as they meet the eligibility criteria. For the 2019-2020 academic year, scholarship award amounts ranged from $500 to $3,400.

Kim said many students at Fort McCoy have benefitted from the scholarships. During the 2018-19 school year, 23 students from Fort McCoy received AER scholarships totaling $51,950. And so far during the 2019-20 school year, 35 students received AER scholarships totaling more than $44,000.

“This is why it’s important for people to donate to Army Emergency Relief, as well,” Kim said. “These scholarships directly affect people in our own community.”

The annual AER Campaign Kick-Off breakfast is planned for 8:30 a.m. March 3 at McCoy’s Community Center at Fort McCoy.

“I encourage people to come to the breakfast and hear more about what AER does for our Army families,” Kim said.

In addition to government civilian employees and Soldiers, retired Army personnel also can donate to the AER campaign and are encouraged to attend the breakfast, Kim said.

(Fort McCoy Army Community Service contributed to this article.)

• Date Taken: 01.24.2020
• Date Posted: 01.24.2020 11:26
• Story ID: 360250
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US