Pat Tillman Foundation Tillman Military Scholars Scholarship Information COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Pat Tillman Foundation Tillman Military Scholars Scholarship Information COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Columbia University has been selected by the Pat Tillman Foundation as a Tillman Military Scholar University Partner for the 2011-2012 academic year. University Partners are chosen to solicit and submit candidates for receipt of the Tillman Military Scholarship through the Pat Tillman Foundation.   This prestigious and selective partnership will enable Columbia University’s student veterans and their eligible dependents to apply for this scholarship. The Pat Tillman Foundation was created in honor of professional football player and military hero Pat Tillman. Tillman played professional football for the Arizona Cardinals from 1998 to 2001 and enlisted in the United States Army in 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.   Tillman died in Afghanistan as a result of friendly fire in 2004.   The mission of the Pat Tillman Foundation is “to invest in veterans and their families through education and community”. As such, this scholarship not only helps student veterans cover the direct costs of tuition and fees but it also acts as a critical resource for other expenses including housing and child care.   In addition to this scholarship, recipients become members of the “Tillman Community” where they have access to a national network of members and are provided other essential resources including leadership, service and advocacy opportunities. The Foundation chooses University Partners who are proven military-friendly institutions that offer specific support services for service members and their families and have a significant percentage of military enrollments, in addition to other criteria.   Hunter I Riley, Pat Tillman Foundation Director of Programs, recently stated, “By working with partner institutions like Columbia University, who have shown ingenuity in delivering veteran-specific support services, we are able to funnel a ready source of assistance onto a campus which already demonstrates a culture of support for student veterans and military families.” All applications will be submitted through the Pat Tillman Foundation website and then forwarded to the Columbia University selection committee for review.   The committee will then recommend the highest scoring applicants to the Pat Tillman Foundation as potential recipients of the scholarship.   The final selection will then be made by the Pat Tillman Foundation. For more information about the application process and to view the application questions now, please visit the Pat Tillman Foundation website www.pattillmanfoundation.org.   The information is listed under the Tillman Military Scholars tab.   The full application for the 2011/2012 academic year will be available on March 7, 2011. The application deadline for filing is April 8, 2011.