New Scholarship Fund to Support Area Military Spouses

Today, representatives from The Landings Military Family Relief Fund, Armstrong State University and Savannah Technical College signed a gift agreement for a new scholarship fund designed to support local military spouses and to enable them to complete college.

The Landings Military Family Relief Fund will donate a total of $40,000 to the Landings Military Spouse Academic Assistance Fund, which will be split between Armstrong and Savannah Tech. The scholarship fund will provide tuition assistance to military spouses eligible for The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program, who have exhausted their benefits. The Landings Military Spouse Academic Assistance Fund will award a maximum of $2,000 annually for up to two years, for a total of $4,000 per student.

“The Landings Military Spouse Academic Assistance Fund came to fruition after Col. Peter Hoffman, director of the Armstrong Liberty Center, informed us about several military spouses who were struggling to finish their degrees because of financial circumstances,” said Tom Osborn, chair of The Landings Military Family Relief Fund. “This new scholarship fund is consistent with our mission to assist military families.”

The Landings Military Family Relief Fund was originally founded in 2007 by Jack Munroe, a Landings resident. Since that time, the fund has assisted more than 3,600 individuals at Hunter Army Air Field and Fort Stewart. The local Red Cross chapter manages the disbursement of funds. The fund currently supports a number of initiatives including a nutritional program in the Wounded Warriors Unit at Fort Stewart and a program to provide therapeutic chairs to aid injured area soldiers with sleep problems.

“We appreciate this generous support for our military spouses,” said Savannah Technical College President Dr. Kathy S. Love. “By relieving the financial burden of achieving educational goals, this fund will help military spouses complete their programs of study and quickly enter the workforce. This scholarship is a welcome addition to our arsenal of military-friendly initiatives.”

Both Armstrong and Savannah Tech have a long history of being military-friendly, serving active duty soldiers, veterans and their families. G.I. Jobs has honored both institutions as Military Friendly Schools for five consecutive years.

In 2015, Military Times ranked Armstrong 12th among four-year schools on its Best for Vets list and ranked Savannah Tech 8th in the U.S. for Career & Technical Colleges. Armstrong also has an active Green Zone initiative, which provides an extensive support network for active duty military students and veterans on campus.

Savannah Technical College has the largest enrollment of military-affiliated students in the Technical College System of Georgia. One in four students at Savannah Technical College is a veteran, active duty service member or a military dependent/spouse. The College waives all general mandatory fees for active duty service members using military tuition assistance. In 2015, Savannah Tech opened a Veteran’s Service Center at the Savannah campus.

“This is a great day for Armstrong, Savannah Tech and the military population both institutions serve,” said Armstrong President Dr. Linda M. Bleicken. “Military spouses deserve to be recognized and supported for the sacrifices they make each and every day. This new scholarship fund is an important way to thank area military spouses for their support and to help them achieve their goals.”

PHOTO CAPTION: Armstrong President Linda M. Bleicken, The Landings Military Family Relief Fund Chair Tom Osborn and Savannah Tech President Kathy Love (l-r) recently signed a gift agreement establishing a new scholarship fund to support local military spouses.

ABOUT SAVANNAH TECHNICAL COLLEGE:

ABOUT ARMSTRONG STATE UNIVERSITY:

Armstrong State University, part of the University System of Georgia, was founded in 1935. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate academic programs in the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science and Technology, the College of Education and the College of Health Professions. Armstrong serves approximately 7,100 students at its main campus in Savannah and a regional center in Hinesville. The institution’s diverse student population comes from 45 states, the District of Columbia and 72 countries. For more information, visit Armstrong.edu.

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#1534 | April 27, 2015