The Association of the U.S. Army and four other military associations have received $100,000 from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation to provide scholarships for troops and their families.

The money will be used to offer oral health and wellness scholarships and certification support to service members, transitioning veterans and their family members.

“Veterans Day honors the members of our military who protect our freedom, but their families also make sacrifices to support that service,” said Kenzie Ferguson, vice president of foundation and corporate social responsibility for Delta Dental of California and its affiliates. “That’s why we are proud to partner with the Joint Military Coalition to create opportunities for those who serve as well as for their spouses.”

This is the third year the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation has partnered with the Joint Military Coalition to fund these scholarships, which will be divided up among the five military associations: AUSA, the Association of the United States Navy, the Marine Corps League, the Air Force Association and the Coast Guard Foundation. Each association will provide 10 scholarships to help ease the tuition burden for recipients. 

Lucy Pickett, an AUSA member and a sophomore at Purdue University who is studying nursing, recently received a Delta Dental scholarship. The scholarship “means the world to me,” Pickett said, as she pursues her goal of becoming a nurse and helping military families.

“Your kindness and generosity to invest in my education has made the greatest difference to me,” she said.