USF Sarasota-Manatee student veterans now have a new option to help pay for college.
Thanks to the Sarasota Military Officers Foundation (SMOF), a scholarship has been established to assist students who’ve been honorably discharged from military service.
“This is a tremendous asset for our veteran community, and we are grateful that those who have given so much for their country will be eligible to apply for this generous scholarship,” said Carlos Moreira, USFSM’s veteran service specialist. “Our thanks go out to the Sarasota Military Officers Foundation.”
Student veterans can apply for the scholarship at the Military and Veterans Success Center on the campus’ first floor. Under the scholarship’s guidelines, one $1,000 scholarship will be awarded annually to provide supplemental support to the G.I. Bill.
Recipients must be in good academic standing and may be enrolled in either undergraduate or graduate courses. Funds may also be used to defer costs related to transportation to and from the university, supplies, equipment, books and certain educational conferences. The SMOF created the scholarship fund this week.
“The Foundation established a veteran scholarship fund of $5,000 with USFSM when it recognized that returning veterans wishing to continue their education had needs that extended well beyond the G.I. Bill,” said Rear Admiral Brian McCarthy, SC, USN (Ret.), executive director of the Sarasota Military Officers Foundation, Inc. “This scholarship allows USFSM’s Military and Veterans Success Center to award the scholarship directly to the veteran in amounts appropriate to each veteran’s need.”