Yuma, AZ (November 14, 2022) – The Arizona Board of Regents was appropriated $10 million to establish a Spouses of Military Veterans Tuition Scholarship during the last legislative session. Arizona Western College was one of 14 higher education institutions in the state eligible to participate in the program.
AWC was awarded $317,000 through the state fund to cover the tuition and fees for spouses of military veterans beginning in the spring of 2023.
“The support, sacrifice, and significant role the military spouse plays in the lives of our service members isn’t lost on any of us. However, before the implementation of this scholarship, most military spouses wouldn’t have seen any educational benefits without severe injury or loss of their veteran,” said Rebecca Cordero-Torres, AWC Director of Military & Veteran Services. “We have had many spouses walk in to our office looking for resources, and it has been hard having to tell them that they don’t meet these qualifications. You could almost always see the disappointment on their face. It feels good now, knowing we get to be a source of hope and not another ‘no’ along their path.”
The Spouses of Military Veterans Tuition Scholarship is available to individuals who meet all of the following criteria:
• Enrolled at AWC (funds are also available at other Arizona community colleges and state universities)
• The spouse of an honorably discharged veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States
• Classified as an in-state student
• Applied for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Enrolled in a certificate, associate degree or bachelor’s degree program
• Complete a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) release form
Tuition scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Registration for AWC spring courses begins Monday, Nov. 14. Visit azwestern.edu/enrollment to start the enrollment process.