Scholarships, Grants and More for Guardsmen

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Duane Morgan
Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse, New York --  There are numerous programs available to benefit the men and women who serve in the Air and Army National Guard. However, it is often difficult for Guardsmen to keep apprised of all these programs.  But there is a solution!

The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) provides a one-stop-shop for Guard benefits that every National Guard member can join. EANGUS was created in 1970 by a group of Non-Commissioned Officers from Mississippi and South Dakota. EANGUS was actually incorporated in Jackson, Mississippi in 1972 and has a sister program the EANGUS Auxiliary.

EANGUS represents over 414,000 National Guard members. EANGUS is also available to the family of Guard members as well as Guard retirees. Though EANGUS is not a mandatory service, Guardsmen are encouraged to sign up to take full advantage of the benefits. For $20 per year, many benefits will be awarded to you and your family members. There are six categories of membership; annual, life, retired, honorary, associate and corporate.

Annual - Members of the National Guard and Retired Guard pay yearly.

Life - Payment of a set fee plus additional for each year of age under age 50 (one time fee).

Retired - Retired National Guard pay yearly.

Honorary - Given by EANGUS leaders.

Associate - Non-member of the National Guard pay yearly (set fee).

Corporate - Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum Plus membership levels.

There are also things such as emergency grants and scholarships that can be attained through EANGUS. In order to receive an emergency grant, you don't actually have to be an EANGUS member. You do have to be a member to receive one of the two scholarships offered by EANGUS and the Auxiliary. EANGUS offers the CSM Virgil R. Williams Scholarship where $2000 is awarded to 10 winners per year. The EANGUS Auxiliary Scholarship is awarded to one winner per year.

Other benefits of being a EANGUS member include car rental discounts, airfare discounts, tuition reimbursements, and low cost home loans, to name a few. Once you become a member, you become a part of the "We Care for America" foundation. You also receive a quarterly "New Patriot" magazine with membership.

The EANGUS National Office is located at 3133 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA. The office is about fifteen minutes from Capitol Hill and ten minutes from the National Guard Bureau. For more information you can visit the EANGUS website www.eangus.org or call 1-800-234-EANG.