The NFL and the Pat Tillman Foundation have created the NFL-Tillman Scholarship, it was announced Wednesday. The announcement was made at the Pat Tillman Legacy Summit in Washington, D.C., where Washington Redskins players, Tillman Military Scholars, and NFL staff visited injured service members at Walter Reed Hospital.
The Tillman Foundation supports educational opportunities for veterans and their families. The foundation’s Tillman Military Scholars program covers not only direct study-related expenses such as tuition, fees, and books, but also other needs such as room and board and child care. There are currently 52 Tillman Military Scholars pursuing their education at every level, from college freshmen undergraduates to doctoral candidates. All 52 of the Tillman Scholars are connected by their desire to improve their lives while continuing to serve others.
With the creation of the NFL-Tillman Scholarship, the NFL will honor an individual who exemplifies Pat Tillman’s enduring legacy of service each year.
The NFL has supported the Tillman Foundation since its inception in 2004, donating $700,000 to the foundation. In 2004, the NFL donated $250,000 to the United Service Organizations to build a USO Center in memory of Tillman. The Pat Tillman USO Center, the first USO center in Afghanistan, opened on Bagram Air Base on April 1, 2005 and now serves 135,000 troops annually. The Arizona Cardinals and owner Bill Bidwill also have been generous in their support, and team president Michael Bidwill sits on the Tillman Foundation’s board.
"We are pleased to honor Pat Tillman through the creation of the NFL-Tillman Scholarship,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “He will always be a member of the NFL family and we are proud to honor him by assisting those who seek to continue his legacy of service.”
“Veterans, active service members and their dependents exemplify the very nature of leadership that the foundation seeks to inspire in young people across the country,” said Marie Tillman. “With the Tillman Military Scholars program, we ensure these leaders receive every opportunity to pursue their broader educational goals and to continue to serve their country in or out of uniform."
Tillman Military Scholarships are available to veteran and active service members from all branches of the U.S. military who wish to start, finish, or further their education and to dependents and survivors of service members. The application process includes consideration of unmet financial need, educational and career ambitions, record of personal achievement, essay question responses, and demonstration of service to others. For more information on the Tillman Military Scholars Program, please visit: http://www.pattillmanfoundation.org/tillman-military-scholars.aspx.