LANL FOUNDATION NEWS RELEASE

The LANL Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of the Veteran’s Scholarship Fund to provide scholarships to students across Northern New Mexico with ties to the military. 

The LANL Foundation’s Board of Directors, in partnership with the Los Alamos Employees’ Scholarship Fund (LAESF) Advisory Committee and the LANL Veterans Employee Resource Group, established the fund with the goal of raising $10,000 in the first year. The Foundation met this goal within the first two months and will continue to grow the fund with donations from LANL employees, local Veterans groups, and the broader community. 

“It is an honor to serve as a steward for this impactful scholarship in service of our veteran community. Our scholarship program seeks to acknowledge those with a demonstrated commitment to achievement, leadership and service, and we know that veterans live these values every day while serving our country. I am proud to add this opportunity to our growing portfolio of scholarships for the people of northern New Mexico,” said Mike Ammerman, LANL Foundation Scholarship Program Director.

The Veteran’s Scholarship will be included among the scholarships awarded by the LAESF Advisory Committee and administered by the LANL Foundation to provide two-year and four-year scholarships to New Mexicans from the seven-county area surrounding LANL. (Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, San Miguel, Santa Fe, and Taos). 

The fund aims to recognize LANL’s dedication to employing veterans by providing scholarships to continue to build the pipeline for veterans and their families to LANL and to make Northern New Mexico an even greater home for those who have left the service. The Veteran Scholarship will initially be offered as one-time awards through the existing Four-Year Undergraduate Scholarship and Career Pathways Scholarship programs, with anticipated increases in the number and value of awards based on projected growth of the fund.

“Like many veterans at the Laboratory, I was blessed to receive an outstanding education and post-service career as a result of my time in the military. There are many veterans however who struggle to find the means to pursue higher education for themselves and their families. This scholarship to me is a demonstration of continued commitment by the veteran community to our fellow service members. At home or abroad, during war or peace, we will always have each other’s back,” said Aaron Charles Miley, who works as a Manager of Projects at Los Alamos National Laboratories and serves on the LAESF Advisory Committee. 

In addition to meeting general LAESF eligibility criteria, eligible candidates will be veterans (preferred) or children of veterans who demonstrate a commitment to academic achievement, leadership and service. If no other candidates meet this criterion, students involved in military preparatory courses (JROTC, ROTC, OCS, Service Academy etc.) will be accepted. Members of Veteran affiliated groups outside of LANL (Veterans Affairs, VFW, American Legion, Elk’s Lodge, etc.) are invited to contribute to this fund, which will be administered by the LANL Foundation at no cost to the donors. 100% of donations go directly to scholarships.

Anyone interested in donating to the Veteran’s Scholarship Fund can make a tax-deductible gift via our website here. 

Applications for the 2025 scholarship cycle will open in October. To learn more about the LANL Scholars Program, visit our website. 

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