A military support organization, Freedom Alliance, says it has reached a milestone: In the 20 years since the September 11th terrorist attacks, it has awarded more than $20 million in college scholarships to the children of fallen or wounded military members.
According to Freedom Alliance, roughly 7,000 youth have lost a parent in Afghanistan or Iraq, and, of those youth, the vast majority have not yet attended college. 
"It’s not enough to simply mourn the death or injury of a service member,” said Freedom Alliance President Tom Kilgannon. "A grateful nation must also care for the children of its fallen and wounded heroes and help them achieve their dreams. Our team at Freedom Alliance has humbly accepted that responsibility and in doing so, our own lives – and the lives of our supporters – have been greatly enriched by those we serve."
In 2021 alone, Freedom Alliance says 583 students received scholarships totaling $2.3 million. Scholarship recipients and their respective parents represent all 50 states as well as all branches of the military. According to Freedom Alliance, the top five areas of study among recipients, who carry an average GPA of 3.21 out of 4.0, are nursing, psychology, biology, business and mechanical engineering.
