SPOUSE GRANT

Educational grants for spouses will be a needs based/merit grant of $500 for spouses of E3-E6 members. A spouse only needs to show enrollment in an education program or proof of a course completion at any time after 31 March 2010 to qualify to apply. The potential courses for this grant include those at vocational schools and certifications. Spouses will not need to provide receipts for expenses, but they will need to itemize expenses. The family will need to list some basic financial information. Transportation and child care expenses can be listed as legitimate expenses for the grant. There is a requirement for an essay no longer than 500 words. It should address what it means to the applicant to be a Coast Guard spouse and what type of difference education has made or will make in their lives and the lives of their family. There will be an open application period until 1 June. There is an ALCOAST in the works to announce this grant.

A selection committee will convene to select recipients in June. Judging by the response to the needs assessment, I expect there to be a high number of applicants. We expect a total of as many as 40-50 spouses will receive assistance.

This grant will be a little bit different from the other grants. The Coast Guard Institute will handle the paperwork and selection processes. The Coast Guard Foundation will actually write and mail the checks.
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