Parent Testimonial: The Opportunity Scholarship Program means so much to our small veteran family

“The Opportunity Scholarship Program means so much to our small veteran family. This benefit is going to families who have fought hard to remain employed through the pandemic and do pay most of their children's school tuition out of pocket. Receiving this award last year for the first time provided incredible relief to a very tight and stressful economic year. It was the extra assistance we needed to send our son to the school that had the highest qualified support for his emotional well-being as a military child. At the end of 2019, my husband left active duty service from the US Coast Guard after ten years so we could return home to Wilmington, North Carolina, to buy our first home and send our kindergartener to school, (after 5 inter-state moves in the previous two years). With all the unforeseen disasters of 2020, we had gotten under contract in February of 2020. The unfolding events made life stressful and difficult to put food on the table with the cutback of our working hours. This scholarship held our newly established life together and I am eternally grateful for it. I know it is doing the same for other families in our beautiful state.” — Alex and Emily, Wilmington