The Fry Scholarship for Fallen Military Servicemembers

The Fry Scholarship was created to honor Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry, 28, of Lorena, Texas.  Sergeant Fry had one week left in his tour in Iraq in 2006, when he volunteered to continue working for seven more hours disarming explosive devices, despite having already sustained an injury to his hand.  He made the ultimate sacrifice on March 8, 2006, in Anbar province, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated.  He left behind a widow and three children.

Previously, only children of those who died in the line of duty were eligible for this benefit.  Over 1,200 children of those who died in the line of duty were serviced under the Fry Scholarship in FY 2013. Due to recent legislation, we are happy to inform that now surviving spouses can be eligible for this scholarship opportunity.

The law states eligible spouses are entitled to receive:

• 36 months of full benefits, equal to 100% level of the Post-9/11 GI Bill^®, this includes tuition and fee payment, a monthly housing allowance, and a stipend for books and supplies.
• Training must start on or after January 1, 2015.  Training prior to January 1, 2015, is not eligible to receive benefits under Section 701.
• A spouse has 15 years from the date of the Service Member’s death to utilize benefits.  If a spouse remarries, benefits end the date of the remarriage.

To find out more about eligibility requirements, you can review the Fry Scholarship Fact Sheet. To apply or make an election, you can download the application form and send a copy via the GI Bill website.

Please pass along this important information to anyone you know that may benefit from this opportunity.