Providing For the Children Left Behind

As an unfortunate consequence of Operation Iraqi Freedom and America’s war on terror, many children of our active-duty military personnel are now members of single-parent families. In most cases, this also means their chances to attend college have greatly diminished. Children of military personnel killed on active duty are entitled to receive money toward a college education. But it’s not enough.

We are raising funds to ensure that higher education will be a reality for these families. Providing for the children our military personnel left behind is our civic duty. An education is a powerful way to show our thanks. That is why we have established the American Legacy Scholarship and The American Legion Sept. 11 Memorial Scholarship Fund. But we need your help.

A Critical Gap

The American Legion fights to see that our active-duty military personnel and their families are looked after. But despite our efforts, recent years have seen a significant shortfall in dollars allotted by our government. The educational benefit provided to surviving children is one of these critical gaps.

The total survivor benefit for these children is slightly more than $26,000 to be used for a college education. In today’s dollars, this benefit will pay little more than half of what a college education costs in the most affordable situation. This gap widens when considering the cost of a college education in the future. The most conservative estimate is that costs will increase by 5 percent per year, meaning that in 16 years, the most affordable college education will be $94,332. Military compensation will not keep up with these dramatic increases.

Join Our Effort

Money provided by law simply has not kept up with what a higher education costs today, let alone what college will cost in years to come. Remember, these children are the direct descendants of people who died protecting our country. Their parents made the ultimate sacrifice. The least we can do is make sure they are provided for.

We need your help to make The American Legion’s American Legacy Scholarship a reality. Too many men and women in uniform have died in the fight to preserve our nation’s freedoms. Together, we can make sure their children have the opportunity these parents were unable to provide. We encourage you to give generously to The American Legion Sept. 11 Memorial Scholarship Fund. Help us to bridge the gap and restore the faith of these special children.

Send your Tax-Deductible Contributions To:

The American Legion - Sept. 11 Memorial Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 1055
Indianapolis, IN 46206

American Legacy Scholarship

Eligibility:

Child/Children, or legally adopted child/children, of active duty United States military and Guard, and Reserve personnel who were federalized and died on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. Must be a high school senior or high school graduate to apply for the scholarship. Scholarship is for undergraduate study at a U.S. school of higher education.

Aid Offered:

The amount and number of awards depends upon the income derived from the trust. Scholarship recipients may reapply for the award.

Application:

To obtain an application click here.

Deadline:

Application must be post marked not later than April 15th.

For information about additional American Legion scholarships and college financial aid click here.