By Janet Thomas, UMGC Director of Military Support
Since 2013, the University of Maryland Global Campus has awarded over 50 full-ride scholarships to military and veteran caregivers. 2022 will mark the 10th anniversary and UMGC will be awarding additional scholarships.
Applications are currently being accepted for the 2022-2023 academic year at www.umgc.edu/pillars.
The Pillars of Strength Scholarship Program is a first-of-its-kind opportunity offered exclusively to military caregivers. The scholarship includes full tuition, fees, and course-required materials for caregivers of recovering service members who became wounded, injured, or ill in the line of duty after Sept. 11, 2001. It honors the exceptional sacrifices of the family and non-family caregivers of our nation’s wounded, injured, or ill military service members.
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“We wanted to honor them in a way that had some permanence to it. And that permanence is a scholarship for further education to help them in life,” said Richard F. Blewitt, President of The Blewitt Foundation and founder of the Pillars of Strength Scholarship program. Blewitt is also a Navy veteran.
“This has become more than just an educational experience. It is a form of encouragement and self-love that makes me happy. This has been an amazing experience so far and I really appreciate all of you for making it happen.”
~ Pam Rutkowski 2020 Pillars of Strength Scholarship recipient.
The scholarship program is supported and managed by The Blewitt Foundation and in partnership with the National Military Family Association, in association with UMGC.
“The partnering with the Pillars of Strength is a tremendous opportunity for caregivers who are often forgotten in the mix of things. They are there supporting their families, being the strength of their families, but they need support too, said Besa Pinchotti, Communications Director, National Military Family Association.
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Post-9/11 military and veteran caregivers fall into a unique category. The VA provides specialized education and training programs for caregivers as well as family support services to assist with the individual needs of Post-9/11 combat-related disabilities. Daily tasks include regular transportation needs, meals and food preparation, assistance with hygiene and dressing, medication, financial management and facilitating paperwork. This is in addition to providing emotional and mental support. Although most caregivers are immediate family members, many are not.
In 2014, the Rand Military Caregivers Study determined there are 5.5 million service members in the U.S. receiving assistance from a caregiver, 1.1 million of which are service members or veterans receiving caregivers’ assistance as a direct result from Post-9/11 combat-related injuries. Post-9/11 service members are eligible to receive VA caregiver assistance according to their classification as wounded, injured, or ill. Combat-related disabilities include Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), spinal cord injuries, physical disabilities that limit mobility, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and more.
In October 2018, the Pillars of Strength Scholarship Program received the Scholarship Provider of the Year award from the National Scholarship Providers Association. This year, the Pillars of Strength scholarship program will offer up to 15 scholarships to military caregivers. To learn more about the program or to apply for a 2022-2023 Pillars of Strength Scholarship Program, go to www.umgc.edu/pillars or email PillarsofStrength@umgc.edu. The deadline to apply is April 30, 2022.