SEMO's partnership with Valor Partners Foundation aids dependents of deceased, 100% disabled veterans

Each year, two Southeast Missouri State University students receive $5,000 scholarships through the university’s partnership with Valor Partners Foundation.

Valor Partners Foundation, which will soon be the new name for the Heart of America Patriot Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that provides scholarships to spouses and children of deceased and 100% disabled veterans through a dollar-for-dollar match worth up to $25,000 with partnered universities.

SEMO began its partnership with VPF in 2022 and is one of 35 institutions to partner with the organization. Southeast’s Military and Veteran Services officer Amanda Woods said the scholarship is awarded annually to students who apply and need it most.

“We have the students apply, but then we go in and look for the financial need of the students,” Woods said. “Typically, whoever has the most financial need is awarded the scholarship so that we can make sure that they have the best opportunity and access to education.”

Each potential recipient must qualify through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance (DEA) program, also known as Chapter 35. For a student to qualify, according to the VA website, the veteran must meet one of the following descriptions:

* The veteran is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability.

* The veteran died as a result of a service-connected disability.

* The service member died in the line of duty.

* The service member is missing in action or was captured in the line of duty by a hostile force for more than 90 days.

* The service member was forcibly detained (held) or interned in the line of duty by a foreign entity for more than 90 days.

* The service member is in the hospital or getting outpatient treatment for a service-connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged for that disability.

During fiscal year 2021, 75 students utilized Chapter 35 benefits to attend SEMO. That number grew to 105 students as of FY24. While the scholarship is renewable, Woods said she typically only awards it to a student once to “spread the love to all the population.”

“I want to make sure that we can help out as many students as possible,” she said.

Current SEMO student Kiara Faires, whose father is a disabled Army veteran, said receiving the scholarship has helped “alleviate a ton of stress.”

“Based on finances, I’m only using scholarships to pay for school,” Faires said. “I haven’t been able to pay for any out of pocket, so it helped me to focus on school instead of focusing on how to pay for school.”

The Heart of America Patriot Foundation was formed in 2012 and supported “numerous veteran-related organizations” before changing its focus in 2021 to help dependents of deceased or 100% disabled veterans. The organization will officially change its name to Valor Partners Foundation and launch its new website, www.valorpartners.org, on Wednesday, Sept. 4. The original website, www.hoapf.org, will also redirect users to the new website.

Those who qualify may apply through SEMO’s endowed scholarship portal by filling out a general application and indicating they are the dependent of a veteran.