If you’re the child or surviving spouse of a service member or member of the Selected Reserve who died on or after September 11, 2001, you may be eligible for the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship).
Eligibility
One of these must be true of the servicemember or member of the Selected Reserve:
The servicemember died in the line of duty while serving on active duty, or died from a service-connected disability within 120 days of being discharged or released from active duty
The member of the Selected Reserve died in the line of duty other than active duty, or died from a service-connected disability
Eligibility for dependents:
At least 18 years old or graduated high school (whichever occurs first)
Can be married or unmarried
Eligibility for spouses:
Must have been married to the servicemember at the time of death. Being separated, but not officially divorced, does not disqualify you from being recognized as the surviving spouse.
What is covered under the Fry Scholarship?
The process of applying the Fry Scholarship to use at Appalachian and coverage of the Fry Scholarship are all the same as a typical Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill) benefit. You will receive tuition and fees paid directly to the school, a monthly housing allowance and book stipend paid directly to you. Read more about the process, coverage, and payments under our Chapter 33 webpage.
How does the Fry Scholarship work with Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)?
If you’re a dependent child and receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), you’ll need to give up those payments when you start to use the Fry Scholarship.
If you’re a surviving spouse receiving DIC, you can still get those payments while using the Fry Scholarship.
You can follow these steps below to make sure that your use of the Fry Scholarship is as seamless as possible:
Steps to Apply: Fry Scholarship
1. Apply for use of the Fry Scholarship
Complete and submit your application to use the Fry Scholarship.
If you need assistance with your application, call the VA main information line at 800-698-2411 (TTY: 711), available 24/7.
2. Register for classes at Appalachian as soon as your class enrollment timeslot opens.
Once you have applied and been accepted to Appalachian, follow the enrollment steps to secure your spot in your MyMountaineer Portal.
Orientation and meeting with an academic advisor will be your next step after completing all your enrollment steps in the MyMountaineer Portal. Once you meet with an academic advisor, you'll receive steps on how to register for classes.
3. Send a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility with your Banner/Student ID number to studentveteranservices@appstate.edu.
The VA will mail your Certificate of Eligibility between 30-45 days after you submit an application. Our office does not receive information directly from the VA about if you have benefits or have a Certificate of Eligibility, so you will need to email us a copy.
You can find your Student ID number in AppalNet, your online information hub once you are admitted and accept that you are coming to Appalachian.
4. Once we have received your Certificate of Eligibility, we will alert you to the opening of your Enrollment Datasheet.
We will send you your first enrollment datasheet once you send us your COE. At the end of each semester, our office will send emails about filling out a datasheet for the next semester.
The form, called an enrollment datasheet, is very important to fill out each semester. It acts as a permission form for our office to send information about you to the VA, and protects your class schedule from cancellation and makes sure you don't get late fees. If our office doesn't receive an enrollment datasheet, we don't submit that you are a student at Appalachian to the VA.
5. Complete your FAFSA.
Even if your/your families' income doesn't qualify you for federal aid, a FAFSA opens opportunities for university- or state-specific grants. If you need assistance with filing a FAFSA, reach out to us or to the Office of Financial Aid.
6. If you have private insurance (TriCare®, BCBS, etc.), complete a medical insurance waiver.
Appalachian requires that every student have some form of health insurance. If a student does not have health insurance privately or through their parents, they can choose the student health insurance plan provided by the university. The Fry Scholarship will only pay for the student health insurance plan if the student has no other insurance option.
If you have a private health insurance like TriCare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, etc., you can complete a medical insurance waiver to void the automatic insurance charge to your bill.
7. If you are not already considered for in-state tuition, you are able to submit an in-state tuition appeal.
In-state tuition can only be considered if the student plans to relocate physically to North Carolina for their degree program, including for ASU Online and Flight Path.
You can find the required documents to file a tuition appeal and who to send it to in our VA Benefits FAQs page.
8. Meet with our office!
Student Veteran Services says veteran in the title, but we are open to everyone. Also - all of our staff are AppState alumni! If you need assistance in finding a resource, want to understand the process of how benefits are paid, how information is sent to the VA, or even where the best off-campus housing is, we are open and happy to help.
You can call, email, ask to set-up a Zoom call, or come by our office in person in the Student Union.
