USARA Scholarship Program

The US Army Ranger Association (USARA) Scholarship Program provides financial grants to students who plan to attend, or are already attending, an accredited college, university, or higher technical trade school. Scholarship awards funds are to assist with academic expenses at the attending University/School and will be disbursed directly to the University/School to assist with tuition, books, fees, supplies and room and board.

The USARA Scholarship Program currently includes two scholarships, the USARA Legacy Scholarship and the First Lieutenant Dimitri A. del Castillo Scholarship. Click on the links to read the details of each scholarship.

Funding and Awards:

The USARA Legacy Scholarship is supported by voluntary donations from USARA members and public donations. The number of scholarships to be awarded annually will vary based on funding; however, the scholarships will not exceed $3,000 per awardee and will be no less than $1,000. The First Lieutenant Dimitri A. del Castillo Scholarship is supported by his family and public donations. The number of scholarships to be awarded annually will vary; the scholarship is $5,000 per awardee.

An individual can be awarded the USARA Legacy Scholarship or the First Lieutenant Dimitri A. del Castillo Scholarship one time.  It is not renewable; he/she cannot compete for future USARA Scholarships.

Eligibility:

USARA Legacy Scholarship applicants must be a qualified descendant of a USARA member. Qualified descendant is defined as an unmarried child; grandchild or great-grandchild of a USARA member (including legally adopted) who is under the age of 23 for the entire academic year. USARA Member (scholarship sponsor) in this case is defined as an individual who at the time of scholarship application has been a Regular Member (Annual or Life) of USARA for a minimum of one year; or a deceased Regular Member of USARA.  Applicants that meet the eligibility requirements for the USARA legacy scholarship also compete for The First Lieutenant Dimitri del Castillo Scholarship.

First Lieutenant Dimitri A. del Castillo Scholarship is offered to a qualified child or spouse of a fallen tabbed or scrolled Ranger. Qualified child is defined as an unmarried child of a fallen tabbed or scrolled ranger (included those legally adopted) who is under the age of 23 for the entire academic year. Qualified Spouse is defined as the person legally married to the fallen Ranger at the time of his death; and not remarried at the time of application for the scholarship.  The term “fallen tabbed or scrolled rangers” (scholarship sponsor) means those tabbed (graduated from Ranger School and awarded the Ranger Tab, or scrolled Rangers (served with the 75th Ranger Regiment in a Ranger slot) who were killed in action or those tabbed or scrolled Ranger killed during training. This includes those who died in a hospital later as a result of critical wounds related to combat or training.

Application Process:

Application Request Form

Perspective applicants must complete the online Application Request Form that provides initial vital information to determine eligibility and tracks the date and time each request is made.  There is no paper-based form.  To ensure effective communication and tracing, the Application Request Form must be completed by the applicant, not by a parent, friend or other person.  Immediately after completing the online Application Request Form, the applicant will receive a confirmation by email.

The Scholarship Committee chairman will review each online request and verify that the applicant meets the eligibility criteria specified above.  In the case that the applicant is requesting a Scholarship Application under the “Fallen Ranger” criteria, the document outlined above will be requested.

Go to the Application Request Form.  Make sure you read and understand the eligibility requirements and that you read the process below before you attempt to complete the request form.

The 2013 application process is closed.

Eligibility Determination

The Scholarship Committee chairman verifies:

• Applicant requesting eligibility as a qualified descendant of a USARA member is in fact a descendant of the USARA Member (scholarship sponsor) claimed by the applicant is in fact a member of USARA as defined above.
• Applicant requesting eligibility as a qualified child or spouse of a fallen tabbed or scrolled Ranger is informed by email that a US Army Human Resources Command (AHRC) Transcript of Military Records (DA Form 1569) or Statement of Service (AHRC Form 2496-E) as proof that the sponsor was killed-in-action or training as well as copies the “fallen Ranger’s”; DA orders awarding the Ranger Tab and/or documented proof of assignment to the 75th Ranger Regiment must be submitted.

Notification of eligibility

The Scholarship Committee chairman will approve eligibility send a Notification of eligibility by email to each applicant immediately after confirming that he/she is clearly eligible.  Applicants will be also notified if not eligible; or that additional information is required.

Scholarship Application Instructions and Application Forms

The Notification of eligibility will provide the links to retrieve the Scholarship Application Instructions and Scholarship Application Form, both in Portable Document Format (PDF).  Applicants must have the latest version of Adobe Reader to download, save and read the forms.  Neither form is available to any person other than described above. 

Scholarship Application Submission

The applicant must submit the Scholarship Application along with required supporting documentation, as outlined in the Scholarship Application Instructions, by email to the Scholarship Committee Chairman in accordance with date/time set forth in the Application Scholarship Process Schedule.  Application submissions will not be accepted by regular mail or any other means.

The entire applications packet with required attachments must be emailed to USARA to be received NLT Midnight (EST) May 1, 2013. Those not received then will not be considered.

Award Selection:

In accordance with the Application Scholarship Process Schedule (shown below) the Chairman will forward all submitted submit applications to Scholarship Committee Members who will review and score each application according to established process and procedure (the chairman is a non-voting committee member).

Selection of awardees rests solely with the USARA Scholarship Committee. Awards will be based on the final, weighted order of merit of all applicants (based on an established set of evaluation criteria); and the amount of funds available during the given scholarship year. Scholarships will be awarded without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, or physical disability. “Politics” does not play any factor in the selection process. The selection of awardees shall be final and binding and no effort to contest the selection will be accepted.

Award ANNOUNCMENT

After the Scholarship Committee Members report ranking of applicants to Scholarship Committee Chairman, he will reports the selection order of merit to President and Treasurer who will award amounts based on funding.

Awardees will contacted by the USARA President via telephone with a letter to follow.   Notification of all other applicants who were not selected will be made within ten days informing them of their non-selection.

Public announcement of Scholarship Awards will be made on the USARA website and through USARA News and other media outlets. 

Application Scholarship Process SCHEDULE (2013):

March 9, 2013  (Saturday)	Application Request Form available on the USARA website
	Applicants complete the request for application form on the USARA website. •·         After completing and submitting the online form, the applicant will receive a receipt confirmation from USARA by email. •·         Upon determination of eligibility, the applicant will receive an email from USARA confirming eligibility and links to download the scholarship application form and instructions. If it is determined that an applicant is not eligible or information submitted is incomplete, USARA will contact the applicant.
May 1, 2013  (Wednesday)	Application deadline to USARA Scholarship Committee. The entire applications packet and scanned required attachments must be emailed to USARA to be received NLT Midnight (EST) May 1, 2013
May 4, 2013  (Saturday)	Applications emailed to Scholarship Committee Members who will review and score each application according to established process and procedure.
May 11, 2013  (Saturday)	Scholarship Committee Members report ranking of applicants to Scholarship Committee Chairman
May 13, 2013  (Monday)	Scholarship Committee Chairman, Reports order of merit to President and Treasurer. Award amounts based on funding.
May 15, 2013  (Wednesday)	Final Scholarship Awards communicated to the USARA Board of Directors
May 18, 2013  (Saturday)	Awardees contacted by the USARA President via telephone. Follow-up letter sent.
May 28, 2013  (Tuesday)	Notification of all other applicants who were not selected will be made within ten days informing them of their non-selection and thanking them for their participation.
May 31, 2013  (Friday)	Public announcement of Scholarship Awards will be made on the USARA website and through USARA News and other media outlets.
June 1, 2013 or after	Scholarship Award checks mailed

DONATIONS:

If you would like donate to the USARA Legacy Scholarship Fund you may do so securely online by clicking the DONATE icon below (Please specify “USARA Legacy Scholarship Fund” or “First Lieutenant Dimitri A. del Castillo Scholarship Fund” in the Donations Instructions):

or send a donation to:

U. S. Army Ranger Association, Inc.

Attn: USARA Scholarships

P.O. box 52126

Fort Benning, GA 31995-2126