IDX co-founder Robert Hoehl and his family have donated $1 million to establish a college scholarship fund to benefit dozens of children of Vermont veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Scholarship, underwritten by the Hoehl Family Foundation of South Burlington, will help pay for college-level education of 15 students a year for the next four years. The annual scholarships, ranging from $3,500 to $7,000, will be awarded to incoming college freshmen on a competitive basis starting next fall.
The Vermont Student Assistance Corp. will administer the fund, said Tom Little, vice president and general counsel for VSAC.
“One of the things that the Hoehls and we identified is that there exist a lot of post-secondary education and training benefits for men and women who’ve been in the service, but those don’t benefit the children of the service people,” Little said. “The size of these awards are very significant and should be very attractive to families.”
Little said VSAC awards more than $5.5 million annually to about 2,500 Vermonters through private scholarship programs.
First Lt. Joe Colantoni, education officer for the Vermont National Guard, said the Hoehl family scholarship will help service men and women who, like many Vermonters, are struggling with the cost of putting children through college.
“When I found out people wanted to donate $1 million to us, it put a smile on my face,” Colantoni said. “It’s nice to have people out there that want to take care of us.”
Robert Hoehl’s wife, Cynthia, a mother of six and former school teacher, came up with the idea for the gift.
“I wanted to honor the patriotism, moral fiber and commitment to peace that these men and women demonstrate through their service to America and its citizens,” Cynthia Hoehl said in a statement released Thursday.
The Hoehls have made contributions to other causes for more than a decade. St. Michael’s College, Robert Hoehl’s alma mater; the Baird Center for Children and Families; and the University of Vermont’s Newman Center are among recipients of the family’s donations.
Students interested in applying should contact VSAC at (800)798-8722 or visit www.vsac.org.
Source: Burlingtonfreepress.com
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