Pamela Jackson
Pamela Jackson, an Army veteran and historical studies junior at The University of Texas at Dallas, says a new scholarship award from State Farm will lessen the financial burden for her tuition expenses this year.
“It helps me to stay encouraged. It’s like a load off. It’s a blessing,” said Jackson, who achieved the rank of U.S. Army Specialist 4 in her seven-plus years of military service.
Jackson, who wants to teach high school history, and three other UT Dallas students have received $2,500 State Farm awards for unmet tuition and fees, books, educational supplies or other expenses related to the students' education and living expenses.
The $10,000 total awards were open to current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are enrolled full time toward an undergraduate degree. Two of the award winners are still serving in the Air National Guard and Army Reserve.
State Farm data architect David Iverson is a military veteran who serves on the Veteran Services Center’s Community Advisory Council, a group of corporate partners, industry professionals and community leaders that promotes the development of student-veterans at UT Dallas and provides guidance for veteran hiring initiatives.
“I’ve experienced the efforts of the staff of the Veteran Services Center and have been able to interact with the student-veterans of UTD. I am extremely pleased and honored that State Farm acknowledges their service to our country and supports them as they make education a priority in the next phase of their lives,” Iverson said.
The State Farm awards will enable students to focus on academic and career goals rather than financial concerns, said Lisa Adams, director of the Veteran Services Center.
Lisa Adams
“Student-veterans have responsibilities outside of class, including family and jobs. There are also students that currently serve in the reserves and Guard and must be adept at balancing school with their military training requirements,” Adams said.
While there are educational benefits for serving in the military, the type of benefit and eligibility for the benefit varies, Adams said. Not all veterans are eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which was enacted in 2009 to provide up to 36 months of education benefits for 15 years after release from active duty.
Jackson, a native of Shreveport, Louisiana, earned an associate degree at Brookhaven College, where she was president of the student-veteran organization on campus. She transferred to UT Dallas because of the University’s reputation for academic excellence.
“It’s awesome,” she said of UT Dallas. “I prayed and prayed to get in because I heard it was difficult to get in. The reputation of the school itself makes me proud to be here.”
Despite being a single mother of five — two sons are grown but she has three children ages 10 and younger at home — Jackson is enrolled as a full-time student.
“I try to give myself one day a week off, but I’m here Monday through Thursdays,” Jackson said. “I’m on my own. It’s a matter of juggling loans and credit cards, and a lot of budgeting.”
Besides State Farm’s participation in the Community Advisory Council, the corporation has previously sponsored end-of-semester spring barbecues and a career roundtable for the Veteran Services Center.
This year’s scholarships are a new level of involvement for State Farm, Adams said.
“State Farm’s awards fuel student-veteran success and affirm their support for UT Dallas students who have served in the military,” Adams said.