Helping fallen heroes' kids

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,6628708.story

Helping fallen heroes' kids
State officials unveil scholarship program
By Jon Yates

Tribune reporter

January 28, 2008

Charon Farmer completed one semester at College of Lake County in Grayslake before she ran low on money.

She took off last semester but is now back in school, thanks in part to a new scholarship program benefiting children of fallen Illinois service members.

Farmer -- whose father died Dec. 19, 2004, in Shuaybah, Kuwait -- will get $2,500 through the Fallen Heroes Scholarships program, an initiative announced Sunday by state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth.

The program is designed to honor children who have lost a military parent in the war on terror, and to help them deal with the financial implications.

"We can never repay the family members, but we can never forget the sacrifice [the service members] made for us," Duckworth said.

Under the program, the state will deposit $2,500 for each eligible child into a tax-free Bright Start College Savings account. The children can use the money for school costs when they reach college age.

Giannoulias said the scholarships are paid for by OppenheimerFunds, which manages the state-run Bright Start program. OppenheimerFunds agreed to set aside $500,000 a year for such programs as part of its contract with the state, Giannoulias said.

Just how many students will apply for the scholarships is unclear. State officials say about 150 service members have died since 2001, leaving behind an estimated 65 eligible children.

Federal benefits for surviving children range from $160 to $881 per month, but they often fail to cover the entire cost of education, state officials said.

As of Sunday, just 15 children had signed up for the new state program. Duckworth said finding eligible recipients has not been easy. Some military families move often, making it difficult for officials to track them. Using information from the Defense Department, the state mailed information to eligible families, but many of the letters were returned.

"We believe there are dozens of children in Illinois and in other states that are eligible for these scholarships that we cannot find or who have not enrolled," Giannoulias said. "If you know a child who has lost a parent during the war on terror, please help us reach out to their families so these scholarships do not go to waste."

Farmer said she signed up after she was contacted by state officials in November.

The 19-year-old, who is working toward a medical imaging degree, said money has been tight since the death of her father, Army Staff Sgt. Donald D. Farmer.

"Hopefully I will graduate in the next two years," said Farmer, who added that the scholarship is a help, "especially for children whose parents can't afford tuition."