Hey guys, recently I heard about a pretty disturbing situation where the children of deceased military personnel were being denied free college tuition. Could anyone provide some clarity on the rules and reasons for this happening?
The primary reason that the children of deceased military personnel might not receive free college tuition is tied to the specific qualifications set by assistance or scholarship programs. Not all programs provide free tuition, and those that do often come with certain requirements that the applicants must meet. There's a variety of programs out there, including federal, state-level, and independent programs, each with their own set of rules.
One of the most well-known tuition assistance programs is the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which includes a provision for the transfer of benefits to dependents. However, the service member must have served at least six years, still be on active duty or in the Selected Reserve, and agree to serve four more years when the transfer is requested. If the service member dies before meeting these requirements, the children would not be eligible.
Some states also offer tuition assistance or waiver programs for the children of deceased military personnel. These programs typically vary by state and can depend on the circumstances of the service member's death, duration of service, and the type of post-secondary institution the student plans to attend.
Finally, there's the Fry Scholarship which provides Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the children and surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty while on active duty after September 10, 2001. While this covers tuition, it's possible that if the death of the service member did not occur in line of duty, or it happened before the aforementioned date, the children would not be eligible.
Sadly, navigating these systems can be complex. Therefore, it's important to reach out to dedicated veteran services officers who can provide information about these programs and help understand the qualifications for each. It is also a good idea to engage with counselors at the prospective college's financial aid office, who often have deep knowledge about available resources.
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