Students whose veteran parents died in the line of duty will now be able to secure scholarships at Jacksonville University, after the school signed an agreement Friday to partner with the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation.
Founded in 2002, the Jacksonville Beach-based foundation has awarded more than $6.5 million in scholarships to more than 400 surviving children.
It has identified 5,000 of the estimated 15,000 children who have lost a parent in the line of duty over the past 25 years.
JU is the first school in the U.S. to partner with the nonprofit.
“Given rising educational costs and uncertain economic times, our partnership with Jacksonville University is an extremely important one, as their scholarships will help to reduce our cost per student while allowing us to extend our fundraising dollars to more children,” said John Coogan, foundation executive director. “More importantly, it provides our children with an unbelievable opportunity to attend a world-class university that has set
the standard in its commitment to our veterans and their
families.”
As part of the agreement, JU will provide a 40 percent undergraduate tuition reduction each academic year for children of deceased veterans and meet JU’s admissions requirements and been accepted for enrollment.
Prospective students will be expected to demonstrate a minimum incoming GPA of 3.3 and maintain a 3.0 or better each semester.
“Today, we honor those children of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country,” JU President Tim Cost said. “This ceremony represents another [aver in the path as JU has fast become one of the most military-friendly campuses in America.”