Features of the fund
The MOAA Scholarship Fund assists eligible students in several ways. The main program offers an interest-free loan that is renewable annually for up to five years of full-time undergraduate study. Assistance is available only to students who have not yet earned an undergraduate degree.
Students (under age 24) who are children of former, active duty, or retired officers or active duty or retired enlisted military personnel are eligible to apply. If such a child served in a uniformed service before completing college, his or her maximum age for eligibility will be increased by the number of years served, up to five years.
The fund also offers the American Patriot Scholarship, which was established after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. Students (under age 24) who are children of an active duty, Reserve, or National Guard parent who died on active service are eligible to apply. The surviving spouse’s membership in MOAA is required, where applicable. The amount of this award depends on donations but will be at least $2,500. Qualified students are selected on the basis of their scholastic ability, activities, and financial need. The number of scholarships also is determined by the funds raised. Military academy cadets are not eligible for scholarship fund loans or for the American Patriot Scholarship.
100-Percent Grateful
Name: Kevin Chung
School: University of Pennsylvania
Graduation: May 2010
Major: Biology
An eighth-grader living in New Jersey on 9/11, Kevin Chung was deeply affected by the terrorist attack.
“That day altered the lives of so many of my friends,” Chung says. “My mother, a medical technologist in the U.S. Army Reserve, was activated afterward and sent away to serve for three years.
“I certainly have no right to complain about difficulty or hardship, as my mother was still in the U.S. and would return home to see me occasionally,” Chung says. “However, it was a bit difficult going through most of high school without her around, although my father did an amazing job taking care of me and my brother on his own.”
Chung now attends New York University’s School of Medicine. He’s not 100-percent sure which medical specialty he’ll pursue, but he is 100-percent grateful for the fund’s aid when he was an undergraduate.
“Given the soaring cost of higher learning in the U.S., it was impossible for my family to afford paying for my eight years of higher education without taking out loans,” he says. “MOAA has helped me pursue a career in medicine while saving me thousands of dollars in interest.”
Giving Back to the Military Community
Name: Samantha Reho
School:University of Florida
Graduation: May 2009
Major: Public Relations
In Samantha Reho’s case, what goes around, comes around.
“MOAA serves our military families well, and they helped me achieve my academic goals,” says Reho. “As a result, I am now able to serve our military families, too, bringing it full circle.” Reho is a federal employee who works as an Army public affairs strategist at the Pentagon.
“My dad, who is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, jokes with me by saying that it took him 23 years to land a job working there, and I managed to land one there at 23 years old,” says Reho.
“The MOAA Scholarship Fund helped me to focus on school. I didn’t have to worry about working full time to sustain myself financially. Because of that, I was able to graduate summa cum laude,” says Reho.
“Do not let finances deter you from pursuing your dream. If you are serious about pursuing a career, then nothing should stand in your way.”
—Kevin Chung
[CONTINUES ON PAGE 74]
DECEMBER 2012 MILITARY OFFICER 59
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