Scholarships give Corps members options

By: Christopher B. Buckley

Posted: 7/3/08

Up-to-date financial analyses show that students at Texas A&M receive more financial aid from the U.S. military than any other source.

Many members of the Corps of Cadets sign a contract allowing them to receive a military scholarship. By signing the contract, the cadet pledges that after graduation and being commissioned as an officer, he or she will serve in the military for a specified amount of time.

Of the 1,800 members of the Corps, about 150 are commissioned into the military at the end of every school year.

This year, students who accepted the military contract received a majority of the militaries scholarship. Nearly 95 percent of the scholarships that the military provides to Aggies are for corps members that sign contracts.

The $3.3 million received from the military out-earned the University's next largest donor by more than half a million dollars.

Assistant Provost for scholarships and financial aid Joseph Pettibon said, "Because some students receive ROTC scholarship money, we refrain from awarding them certain grant funds, which potentially allows other students to receive that money.

"We work with the ROTC program office and are given information from them. We keep track of the information by individual student accounts."

In addition to ROTC scholarships, veterans attending universities and college receive educational backing from the GI Bill.

The GI Bill was a part of a lengthy legislation package titled the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. Among other things, the GI Bill finances veterans' education, be it college or vocational training.

Around 560 veterans of the armed services attend A&M and they are supported with $6 million for educational expenses.

Dan Garcia joined the Air Force before attending A&M and graduating in 2008.

"The GI Bill was a steady monthly income that I could depend on and I didn't have to worry about food and rent money because it took care of my necessities," Garcia said. "I don't think I could have made it through school without the GI Bill."

Garcia, who was an interpreter in the Air Force for several years, said soldiers have the option to invest into their own GI Bill benefits early on.

"You pay $1,200 into your GI Bill at basic training," Garcia said. "After I was already in the military, they offered a kicker for an extra $600. It gave me an extra 300 or 400 dollars a month for GI Bill. I was getting $1,250 a month from the GI Bill to finance my education."

Pettibon said of the GI Bill, "The benefit is more directly to the student. It is a point of pride to the student."

Serving in the armed forces offers the chance for many people to become educated, not just for the soldier, but for their dependants as well. The GI bill allows soldiers to allocate educational funding to spouses, or dependants. Which rounds out the final allotment of military provided educational scholarships.

Veterans Counselor Luis Baker said, "Last year, about $108,000 in scholarships from A&M for students that are military eligible was awarded.

"People that are military dependents or veterans that filed an application were also eligible. It helped many, regardless of whether they are active duty dependents or they themselves are active duty."