For the past two years, the Pat Tillman Foundation has partnered with Mississippi State University to offer scholarships for both active and veteran service members.  The Tillman Military Scholars Program seeks to support these individuals and their families by covering tuition and fees, along with other expenses such as childcare and housing.
Lorene Cox, veterans’ benefits and program coordinator, said in an email MSU was one of four universities in the nation to be chosen as a partner for the scholarship in 2009. 
“University partners are institutions specifically chosen to solicit and submit candidates for the Tillman Military Scholars program through the Pat Tillman Foundation […] chosen in part due to their proven dedication to our nation’s service members and their families,” she said.
Nine to 10 scholarships are awarded each year, and service members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces are eligible.  Children of veterans and service members who want to apply must be between ages 19 and 28, and spouses are also encouraged to apply, she said.
Financial need, educational and career ambitions, personal achievements, dynamic essay responses and the demonstration of service to others will all be considered during the selection process.
Cox said the scholarship officials have been pleased with the previous scholarship winners.
“We are extremely proud of our Tillman Military Scholars.  They portray true leadership in their service to their country and service to their community,” she said.
Markus Edwards, senior music education major and scholarship recipient for 2009 and 2010, said Tillman scholars help the community by participating in different service projects, such as Relay for Life or The Big Event. 
“This scholarship is really beneficial because [it] is all about serving and giving back,” Edwards said. 
The scholars have to work 10 community service hours per semester, and he said he is interning at Sudduth Elementary in Starkville to earn his hours.
Tillman scholars can interact with other scholarship recipients across the nation through an online community where they share their experiences in the community. Edwards said he has seen how the Pat Tillman Foundation has helped all types of service members pursue their degrees.
“It’s been eye opening to see that there are other military dependents that want to go to college to pursue a degree who can’t afford it, and the Tillman Foundation has generously given a lot of money to help them pay for their [education],” he said.
Keeley Tatum, senior secondary English education major, said she was eligible for the scholarship because her father was an Air Force veteran before he passed away.
“My mom was alone paying for three kids in college, and that money was helpful in relieving the financial burden [of tuition].  It’s been a wonderful program,” Tatum said.
This program gave her the opportunity to travel to a conference in Washington, D.C., to represent Tillman scholars at MSU.  She met other scholars from across the nation to experience the program on another level, which was one of the best opportunities of her life, she said.
Samantha Hill, sophomore communication major, said she would not have been able to attend MSU without the generous scholarship she received from the Pat Tillman Foundation. 
“My favorite part about the program is the Tillman community. The entire foundation is made up of people who genuinely care about you and your success in college and in society,” Hill said.
For more information about the scholarship, contact the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Center for America’s Veterans at 325-6719.  The application deadline is April 8.