New Scholarship for the Children of Fallen Service Members
Benefit Honors Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry
WASHINGTON – The children of military personnel who died in the line of duty since Sept. 11, 2001 can apply for an educational scholarship similar to the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. Benefits are retroactive to Aug. 1, 2009.
The scholarship, which is administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, are named after Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry, 28, a Texas native who died in Iraq in 2006 while disarming an explosive. He was survived by three young children.
“The Fry scholarship represents this nation’s solemn commitment to care for children whose mothers and fathers paid the ultimate price for our country,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.
VA begins accepting applications for the Fry scholarship on May 1, 2010. For more information or assistance applying, call toll-free 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551), or visit the VA GI Bill Website at www.gibill.va.gov.
VA estimates nearly 1,500 children will receive benefits under the Fry scholarship program in 2010. Recipients generally have 15 years to use their benefits, beginning on their 18th birthdays.
Eligible children attending institutions of higher learning may receive payments to cover their tuition and fees up to the highest amounts charged to public, in-state students at undergraduate institutions in each state. A monthly housing allowance and stipend for books and supplies are also paid under this program.
VA will begin paying benefits under the Fry scholarships on Aug. 1, 2010. Eligible participants may receive benefits retroactively to August 1, 2009, the same day the Post-9/11 GI Bill took effect.
Eligible children may be married. Recipients are entitled to 36 months of benefits at the 100 percent level.
When dependents also serve in the military, the reserves or are Veterans in their own right, eligible for education benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill for Active Duty, the Montgomery GI Bill for Selected Reserves or the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP), then they would relinquish their eligibility under those programs to receive benefits under a Fry scholarship.
Discount Prescription Drug Card Available Free for Contra Costa Residents
Contra Costa residents who need help paying for their prescription medications are getting a helping hand thanks to a new discount prescription card. The Coast2Coast Rx Cards are now available for free in Contra Costa and provide medication at lower cost through many pharmacies countywide. The cards can be downloaded online and printed in English and Spanish at: www.coast2coastrx.com/contracostaca, or picked up at many pharmacies, the County Supervisors’ offices, most county libraries, government buildings, hospital emergency rooms or by calling 1-800-931-8872.
The new cards make it possible for every resident who is struggling to afford important prescriptions to get the medications they need. The average savings is about 40% and discounts apply to about 60,000 name-brand and generic medications.
The card is free and simple to use. It comes ready to use, there is no paperwork to complete and no limits on the amount of medication that can be purchased once the card holder has a prescription. There are no health condition restrictions and no screening for eligibility. The card can be used in any participating county in the United States. The card is not health insurance.
To print the card, check prescription prices or locate the nearest participating pharmacy, visit: www.coast2coastrx.com/contracostaca or visit www.cchealth.org for more information.
April 13, 2010 Board of Supervisors Meeting, Item D. 1 -- CONSIDER accepting a preliminary report from Contra Costa Health Services on the possible impacts of federal health reform on health care delivery in Contra Costa County. Presented by William Walker, M.D., Health Services Director
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)