Program names 133 student veteran recipients
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Jan. 19, 2016)
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) is pleased to announce 133 service members and veterans have been named recipients of the VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship,” making the 2016 spring semester the highest award period since the program’s inception in 2013. These student veterans will receive over $563,500 in combined aid.
See a complete list of the 2016 spring recipients.
For many student veterans, military educational benefits are often exhausted before the full costs of a college education are accounted for, leaving many without a completed degree or burdened with excessive student loans.
The VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” program, created through the VFW’s long-standing relationship with Sport Clips Haircuts, provides service members and veterans with the financial support they need to complete their educational goals without incurring unmanageable student loan debt. Funding for the scholarships is made possible through Sport Clips’ annual Help A Hero fundraiser, in which locations across the nation participate. In mid-October through November 11, Veterans Day, Sport Clips stylists raise funds in-store and in their communities to benefit the scholarship program. In 2015, the company exceeded their $750,000 fundraising goal with a donation total of more than $900,000.
The Help A Hero scholarship program has experienced great success, awarding more than $1.8 million in financial aid and has provided scholarships to 444 service members and veterans to date.
“It is challenging to convey the amount of gratitude I feel,” explained scholarship recipient Joshua R. East. “Even though the gesture of a scholarship may seem insignificant to some, it is a beacon of hope and inspiration to me, and to those like me.”
Help A Hero scholarships are awarded twice a year, exclusively to service members and veterans to help cover the cost of tuition and fees. Scholarship applications are currently being accepted for the 2016 fall semester. Apply today.
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About the VFW
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is a nonprofit veterans service organization comprised of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936, the VFW is the nation's largest organization of war veterans and its oldest major veterans organization. With nearly 1.7 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in more than 6,700 Posts worldwide, “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS.” The VFW and its Auxiliaries are dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. For more information or to join, visit our website at www.vfw.org.
About Sport Clips Haircuts
Sport Clips Haircuts is headquartered in Georgetown, Texas. It was established in 1993 and started franchising in 1995. The sports-themed haircutting franchise, which specializes in haircuts for men and boys, is ranked by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the “Fastest-Growing Franchises” and in the top 20 in the “Franchise 500.” There are currently almost 1,500 Sport Clips stores open in the U.S. and Canada. Sport Clips is the “Official Haircutter” of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), offers veterans preferential pricing on haircuts and franchises, and was named as one of the “Top 50 Franchises for Veterans” by USA Today and one of the “2016 Best for Vets: Franchises” by Military Times. Our “Help A Hero” program has raised almost $4 million to help deployed and hospitalized U.S. service members call home through the VFW’s Operation Uplink™ and to provide scholarships for veterans transitioning to a civilian career. Sport Clips is a proud sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing’s NASCAR drivers Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards, and partners with numerous NCAA and professional sports teams. To learn more about Sport Clips, visit sportclips.com.