Education

Orphans of Veterans Receive Scholarships

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From left is Deputy Adjutant General Warren Perry, scholarship recipient Kathryn Routhier, Commissioner Frank Edelblut and Stephen Appleby, director of NHED’s Division of Educator Support and Higher Education.

The New Hampshire Department of Education recently issued two, $2,500 checks to assist orphans of veterans with their college expenses.

The scholarships are part of the Orphans of Veterans program that helps war orphans offset the cost of college for items such as books and supplies. This year’s recipients are:

  • Kathryn Routhier of Somersworth, a senior at the University of New Hampshire majoring in Justice Studies with a minor in Forensic Science.
  • Evan Milton, a freshman at the University of New Hampshire studying Health Sciences

Routhier’s mother, Ronda Routhier, was an Army Veteran of the War on Terror and passed away due to a service-related illness in 2018. “This extra money helps me feel a bit more secure in my ability to attend college, and I am very grateful,” said Kathryn Routhier.

Evan’s father, James Milton, was an airman in the U.S. Air Force who passed away in 2014 from a service-related illness. “This scholarship will really help with covering some fees and getting me through the next few years of school. It means a lot that my father’s service will have a direct, positive impact on me years after he passed away,” said Evan Milton.

RSA 193:19 was established in 1943 to give children of soldiers who lost their lives during World War II the opportunity to apply for a scholarship to attend college. The program has been updated numerous times to cover other wars and conflicts through the Gulf War. In 1981, the law was updated to allow orphaned children of veterans to also obtain free tuition to the University System of New Hampshire colleges and universities and the Community College System of New Hampshire.

“We are pleased to recognize and assist these two students, as their parents gave the ultimate sacrifice. It is our hope that they will both achieve their educational and career goals, and that these scholarships will provide a small amount of financial assistance and support,” said Frank Edelblut, education commissioner.

The Orphans of Veterans program is able to issue four, $2,500 grants each year. For more information about the application process and records needed to qualify, contact Jeffrey Newman at the Division of Higher Education at Jeffrey.Newman@doe.nh.gov.

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