Pat Tillman Foundation

IN 2002, PAT TILLMAN PROUDLY PUT HIS NFL CAREER WITH THE ARIZONA CARDINALS ON HOLD TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY. FAMILY AND FRIENDS ESTABLISHED THE PAT TILLMAN FOUNDATION FOLLOWING PATS DEATH IN APRIL 2004 WHILE SERVING WITH THE 75TH RANGER REGIMENT IN AFGHANISTAN. CREATED TO HONOR PATS LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE, THE PAT TILLMAN FOUNDATION INVESTS IN MILITARY VETERANS AND THEIR SPOUSES THROUGH ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPSBUILDING A DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF LEADERS COMMITTED TO SERVICE TO OTHERS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PAT TILLMAN FOUNDATION, VISIT WWW.PATTILLMANFOUNDATION.ORG. FOUNDED IN 2008, THE TILLMAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM SUPPORTS OUR NATIONS ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS AND MILITARY SPOUSES BY INVESTING IN THEIR HIGHER EDUCATION. THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM COVERS DIRECT STUDY-RELATED EXPENSES, INCLUDING TUITION AND FEES, BOOKS AND LIVING EXPENSES, FOR SCHOLARS WHO ARE PURSUING UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE OR POST-GRADUATE DEGREES AS A FULL-TIME STUDENT AT A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, U.S.-BASED ACC

THE PROGRAMMATIC PILLAR OF THE PAT TILLMAN FOUNDATION IS THE TILLMAN SCHOLARS (TS) PROGRAM. FOUNDED IN 2008, THE TS PROGRAM SUPPORTS OUR NATIONS ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS AND THEIR SPOUSES WITH AN ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP AND PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORT. THE SCHOLARSHIP COVERS DIRECT STUDY-RELATED EXPENSES, INCLUDING TUITION AND FEES, BOOKS AND LIVING EXPENSES, FOR SCHOLARS WHO ARE PURSUING UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE OR PROFESSIONAL DEGREES AS A FULL-TIME STUDENT AT A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, U.S.- BASED ACCREDITED INSTITUTION. EACH YEAR, THE FOUNDATION SELECTS UP TO 60 TILLMAN SCHOLARS WHO EMBODY PATS COMMITMENT TO SERVICE, LEARNING AND ACTION. THE SCHOLARS CHOSEN DEMONSTRATE EXTRAORDINARY ACADEMIC AND LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL, A TRACK RECORD OF PERSEVERANCE, AND A DEEP DESIRE TO CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE THROUGH THEIR WORK IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, LAW, BUSINESS, POLICY, TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION, AND THE ARTS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE TS PROGRAM HAS EVOLVED INTO A COMMUNITY OF MILITARY VETERANS AND SPOUSES, ACCEPTING APPLICANTS BASED ON MERIT AND POTENTIAL FOR IMPACT. OVERALL, SINCE INCEPTION THE FOUNDATION HAS INVESTED OVER 18 MILLION IN TILLMAN SCHOLAR SCHOLARSHIPS AND HAS NAMED OVER 640 TILLMAN SCHOLARS AT MORE THAN 120 ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS NATIONWIDE. TILLMAN SCHOLARS REPRESENT ALL FIVE BRANCHES OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES, AS WELL AS MILITARY SPOUSES. AIDED BY A GRASSROOTS MARKETING EFFORT, THE FOUNDATION RECEIVED NEARLY 2,400 COMPLETE APPLICATIONS DURING THE MONTH-LONG SUBMISSION WINDOW DURING THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019. AFTER CAREFUL REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION AMONG REGIONAL AND FINAL SELECTION COMMITTEES, 60 CANDIDATES WERE SELECTED TO JOIN THE TENTH CLASS OF TILLMAN SCHOLARS. DURING THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019, THE FOUNDATION AWARDED 1,162,611 AND 1,397,542, RESPECTIVELY, IN SCHOLARSHIPS. AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019, THE BOARD HAS DESIGNATED 1,180,750 AND 1,758,000, RESPECTIVELY, IN FUNDS FOR ANTICIPATED SCHOLARSHIP FUND RENEWALS FOR CURRENT TILLMAN MILITARY SCHOLARS. PRIOR TO FOCUSING ON VETERANS' EDUCATION, THE FOUNDATION FULLY ENDOWED THE LEADERSHIP THROUGH ACTION PROGRAM AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, SERVING PROMISING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH A UNIQUE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LEADERSHIP CURRICULUM.