WPAOG Fallen Graduates Memorial Scholarship Program
Fallen Graduates Memorial Scholarships (FGMS) provide meaningful financial assistance for the higher education of the sons and daughters of United States Military Academy graduates who died as a result of their participation in our nation’s armed conflicts, or as a result of the hostile actions of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. FGM Scholarships may be applied to educational programs leading to an undergraduate degree at an accredited college or university, or to education and training programs at Veterans Affairs-recognized vocational or technical institutions.
Eligible students may receive a lifetime total of four Fallen Graduates Memorial Scholarships, but not more than one within a calendar year. A student must apply each year that a scholarship is requested. FGMS is intended to help pay tuition and fees, room and board, or for books, supplies, and program requirements identified by the student’s institution of higher education. Students matriculating to U.S. service academies may receive FGMS to pay for their initial issue. Each year, WPAOG will set the maximum scholarship amount based on analysis of funding available and the anticipated number of applicants (no single scholarship will ever exceed $10,000). WPAOG has absolute and sole discretion in setting FGM Scholarship amounts. A student-applicant is requested to provide a personalized financial summary prepared by the institution of higher education for the purpose of explaining his or her unmet financial need for the year.
Eligibility Requirements:
1) FGMS is a Post-9/11 program. The natural son or daughter of a United States Military Academy graduate who died as a result of participation in our nation’s armed conflicts or as a result of the hostile act of a Foreign Terrorist Organization is eligible to apply, as is a child who was legally adopted by a fallen USMA graduate. A son or daughter of a USMA graduate declared missing in action or a prisoner of war at the time of the application is also eligible to apply for FGMS.
2) The student-applicant must be accepted for admission to an accredited, Veterans Administration-approved college or university in a program leading to a baccalaureate degree. Students who are not on an academics-based career path may apply for FGMS to defray the cost of a program leading to a certificate from a Veterans Administration-approved vocational or technical institution.
Note: Graduate students (i.e., M.A., M.S., Ph.D., J.D., M.D., etc.) are not eligible for FGMS.
Fallen Graduates Memorial Scholarship Applications
Applications may be mailed via postal service or emailed to
West Point Association of Graduates, ATTN: Christine M. Richardson,
698 Mills Road, West Point, NY 10996
Christine.Richardson@wpaog.org; 845-446-1519.
Please include the following information:
1) A letter requesting an FGM Scholarship: identify the West Point graduate-parent; a copy of the DD Form 1300, Report of Casualty is requested; if the student-applicant was legally adopted, please provide a certificate). Identify the institution of higher education (or vocational/technical institution).
2) Documentation of admission to an accredited undergraduate program or certificate-issuing vocational or technical program. Please provide the institution’s description of the student’s course of instruction for the upcoming year and the degree being pursued.
3) An explanation of the student-applicant’s financial need that is unmet by other sources (such as Veterans Administration Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarships, other scholarships from 501(c)3 organizations (e.g., the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation or Folded Flags Foundation), and scholarships and grants from the institution of higher education, or vocational or technical institution). A financial worksheet or similar document prepared by the educational institution is requested.
4) A statement of permission for WPAOG to conduct a background investigation on the student-applicant.
Normally, WPAOG processes Fallen Graduates Memorial Scholarships during the summer months, prior to the fall academic term. However, at any time in the calendar year, WPAOG will make every effort to respond expeditiously to a qualified student’s request for a scholarship.
Updated March 31, 2017