More than 1,600 students will receive up to $5,000 each in interest-free loans from the Military Officers Association of America’s (MOAA) Scholarship Fund for the 2008-09 school year. More than 515 of the students will be first-time recipients.

Students can apply online at MOAA’s Web site for the loans, which are awarded annually for up to five years of undergraduate study.

Students under age 24, who are children of former, active or retired officers, or active or retired enlisted military personnel, are eligible to apply.

Active duty, retired, Reserve, and National Guard officers and warrant officers of the seven uniformed services are eligible for MOAA membership.

If a child served in a uniformed service before completing college, however, his or her maximum age for eligibility will be increased by the number of years he or she served, up to five years. Applicants may be graduating high school seniors or full-time college students working toward their first undergraduate degree.

Qualified students with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale are considered for selection based on their scholastic ability, potential, participation in extracurricular and community activities, as well as financial need.

“For more than 60 years, our educational assistance programs have assisted military families in meeting the challenge of paying for college,” says Laurie Wavering, program manager of the Educational Assistance Program.

In addition to the more than 1,600 interest free-free loans, MOAA will award 19 grants to college seniors who are current loan recipients in the Program, eight grants to children of deceased retired officers and at least 50 grants to children whose military parent died in active service. All of the 19 senior grants will be for at least $5,000 each. Also, 793 of those receiving the interest-free loan are Designated Scholars who receive a $5,000 interest-free loan and a $500 grant.

A designated scholarship is a permanent named grant that will continue in perpetuity. Each year both a grant and an interest-free loan are awarded in honor of the loved one, friend, or colleague designated by the donor.

The MOAA Scholarship Fund has given nearly 10,000 students interest-free loans totaling more than $71.2million since its inception in 1948.

For MOAA Scholarship Fund applications for the 2009-10 school year, or for more information on making a contribution to the fund, please visit MOAA’s Web site at www.MOAA.org/education or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The application deadline is 12 noon Eastern standard time, March 2, 2009.

MOAA is the nation’s largest veteran's organization for active duty, National Guard, Reserve, former and retired military officers and their families and surviving spouses. The association promotes a strong national defense by lobbying for equitable benefits for those who serve and have served their country in military, including health care, pay, allowances, and family issues. For more information please visit www.moaa.org.

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