Washington, D.C. – Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will take applications beginning May 1st for the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship, which was created by Congress last year. The scholarship expands New GI Bill education benefits to cover the full cost of a college education for all children of service members who have died on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001.

“This legislation honors the sacrifice of our military families and ensures that their children receive the same care and assistance as any soldier,” Grijalva said. “No one is more deserving of our nation’s support than children whose parents have given their lives in military service.”

Fry Scholarship details:
•All children of Armed Forces members who died in the line of duty while on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, are eligible for 36 months of tuition and fees up to the maximum in-state tuition, as well as a monthly living stipend and a book allowance.
•The VA must begin making payments no later than August 1, 2010, with retroactive payments for children enrolled in college from August 1, 2009 through July 31, 2010.
•The VA estimates 1,500 military children will be eligible for the Fry scholarship in 2010.
•Surviving military children have 15 years to use their benefits, beginning on their 18th birthdays.
•For more information, visit the VA website at http://www.gibill.va.gov or call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-88-442-4551)

The scholarship was created as part of the Supplemental Appropriations Act in 2009 in honor of Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry, 28, a Texas native who died in Iraq in 2006 while disarming an explosive. He is survived by three young children.

The legislation builds on a series of recent Congressional efforts in support of active duty soldiers, veterans, and their families, including the new G.I. Bill to provide returning troops with the promise of a college education; mandating historic investments in veterans’ health care one budget year in advance; expanded economic opportunities for returning soldiers and improving care for those with PTSD; and legislation providing support and enhanced health services to family members and others who care for wounded veterans.