First Command Educational Foundation and Orion Military Scholarships partner to help military families

FOR  IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  March 29, 2023

Jamestown, R.I. and Fort Worth, Tex. — This month, two military-connected national charities collaborated to fund boarding school scholarships for children of active-duty military families seeking stable high school experiences. First Command Educational Foundation (FCEF) has agreed to match part of Orion Military Scholarship’s funding annually. The money will be used for one or two special scholarships each year, the recipient(s) of which will be selected by Orion Military Scholarships. Throughout their education, the military children Orion selects have had to move and change schools multiple times due to their parents’ military orders, but thanks to the Orion-FCEC funding and boarding school financial aid grants, these military scholars will be able attend select boarding schools to provide them stable, continuous high school experiences.

Many wonder why military children, who are renowned for their resiliency, would need to attend boarding schools. Children of active-duty U.S. military parents move three times more than civilian kids and change schools up to nine times before high school graduation. Frequent moves and the inconsistency of multiple school programs take their toll on military children, whose unpredictable, mobile lifestyles put them at significantly greater risk for anxiety, depression and self-harm during adolescence. Multiple moves also affect military teenagers’ ability to transfer academic credits and progress in sports and extra-curricular activities. Worse yet, frequent moves often inhibit military teenagers’ ability to form positive social connections. Military families need stable educational opportunities to allow their children to stay put during high school.  

Although independent schools that offer boarding allow military children to stay in one school for four years, military families cannot afford the high tuition and fees, which are comparable to private college costs. Orion Military Scholarship Fund, Inc. was founded in 2019 with a mission to alleviate this problem for military families by providing a combination of scholarships, school financial aid, and enrollment assistance for select military children to attend a consortium of eleven member boarding schools across the United States. 

Captain Francis Molinari (USN, Ret.), Orion’s cofounder and Vice President of Military Affairs, stated, “Orion is honored to partner with FCEC to provide talented military kids with the stable educational opportunities they deserve. FCEC’s mission to help military families make positive financial decisions and achieve financial well-being dove tails perfectly with Orion’s mission to provide talented military children the stable independent school opportunities they need and deserve but cannot afford.”

Julie Malwitz, FCEF’s Director of Scholarships and Program Support comments, “Partnering with Orion Military Scholarships is an ideal fit for FCEF and our mission. Together we can provide military families with access opportunities like more challenging learning environments and smaller classrooms, while creating connections that can last a lifetime. Empowering students to pursue their academic dreams while providing stability they need.”

Orion’s 2023 Military Scholars include children of active duty military families who are stationed at U.S. installations at home and overseas. They will each attend one of Orion’s eleven member boarding schools which include The Lawrenceville School (Princeton, N.J.), St. George’s School (Newport, R.I.), Madeira School (McClain, Va.), Randolph-Macon Academy (Front Royal, Va.), Cate School (Carpinteria, Ca.), Tilton School (Tilton, N.H.), Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Va.), Mercersburg Academy (Mercersburg, Penn.), St. Andrew’s School (Middletown, Del.), Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Va.) and Salisbury School (Salisbury, Conn.).

Orion will announce the names of the 2023 Orion Military Scholars in May. More information about Orion Military Scholarship Program and FCEC’s scholarship programs can be found on their websites, www.orionmilitary.org and www.fcef.com, respectively.

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About Orion: Orion Military Scholarship Fund, Inc. is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) tax-deductible public charity, dedicated to providing scholarships for children of active duty military parents to attend select boarding schools for continuous, stable high school experiences. Orion was founded in 2019 by Eric and Krista Peterson, who have worked in boarding school administration for more than 30 years, and Capt. Francis Molinari (Ret. Navy) and his wife Lisa, whose daughters moved often as military children until they attended boarding high schools on scholarships. Orion was incorporated as a nonprofit in Delaware but is headquartered in Jamestown, R.I. Orion’s next application season for scholarships for Fall 2024 enrollment begins September 1, 2023. 

About FCEC: 

First Command Educational Foundation (FCEF) was founded in 1983 to provide financial education and scholarships to military members and their families. Since 2006, First Command Educational Foundation has been recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity. FCEC’s mission is to “educate those who serve”. FCEF seeks to empower those who serve our nation and those who support them to take command of positive financial behaviors through education and scholarships. They give more than 250 education presentations annually to military servicemembers, veterans, and federal civilian employees across the country and overseas. Since 1983, they have awarded more than $5 million in scholarships.