Within the UTRGV veteran community, a student has been awarded the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Sports Clips Help A Hero Scholarship.
William Pabon III is a criminal justice senior who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2007 to 2015 and comes from a family of veterans.
Pabon discovered the Help A Hero scholarship when he noticed a sign at one of the Sport Clips Haircuts locations where he went to get a haircut. He received about $1,800 for this semester and said it has greatly helped him in his academic career.
“I was surprised when I saw it on my student bill,” Pabon said. “I was like, ‘No way,’ and then I got the email saying, ‘Congratulations, you got accepted.’ It’s been great. I applied not knowing if I would get [the scholarship] or not. … Once it came in, it helps a lot because with the benefits that we get, it does help, like, to pay for school and some allowance for books and they do give you some allowance that helps you for rent.”
Depending on financial need, the Help A Hero scholarship offers up to $5,000 per semester. In just six years, 1,450 veterans have been awarded the scholarship and nearly $6.5 million has been donated by Sport Clips Haircuts, its clients and product partners, according to a Sport Clips Haircuts news release.
Veterans interested in applying must be U.S. citizens and be retired, honorably discharged, active duty, or a member of the National Guard or Reserve.
The scholarship is administered by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and this year’s goal is to raise $1.5 million through more than 1,800 Sport Clips Haircuts locations across the nation. The scholarship’s goal is to decrease the hardships of college for veterans.
“If you are a veteran or an active duty service member and you are looking for help for school, absolutely apply for the scholarship,” said Amanda Palm, communications manager for Sport Clips Haircuts, whose headquarters is in the Central Texas city of Georgetown. “Even if you do have other benefits coming in, it won’t disqualify you from possibly getting funds and it’s a great way for us to help you.”
For more information about the Help A Hero scholarship, visit https://www.vfw.org/scholarship/.
