Laurana Bradley is one of UNG's Georgia Military Service Scholarship recipients.
Article By: Clark Leonard
High school seniors can apply for a scholarship worth more than $85,000 to attend the University of North Georgia (UNG) as a member of the Corps of Cadets.
Each year, the state offers the Georgia Military Service Scholarship (GMSS) to 42 Georgia high school seniors who attend UNG, serve in the Georgia Army National Guard while in the Corps, and commission as second lieutenants in the Georgia Army National Guard after graduating with bachelor's degrees.
The scholarship pays for room, meals, tuition, books, uniforms and fees. In addition, most awardees receive National Guard weekend drill pay, GI Bill, pay for attending Army basic and advanced training, and Army ROTC contract pay (beginning of sophomore or junior year, if offered a contract to commission as a lieutenant). Recipients may also be eligible for an enlistment bonus or extra GI Bill money for enlisting into critical military jobs and units. The additional pay and benefits for most recipients range from $30,000 to over $55,000 over four years.
"You are getting paid to go to college," Mike Ivy, '95, director of Cadet Admissions said. "This scholarship offers a chance to serve your local community, Georgia and our country. Being a National Guard officer also provides the flexibility to pursue additional goals such as graduate school or a civilian career."
Applications for the GMSS are due by Feb. 1. Those who apply after the deadline will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
I am able to learn different things from the experiences and perspectives of my fellow enlisted soldiers as I develop myself as a leader. It also gives you a clear, defined path of where you're going after school.
Laurana Bradley
UNG cadet and Georgia Military Service Scholarship Recipient
Upon graduation from UNG, recipients commission as second lieutenants in the Georgia Army National Guard, where they earn about $8,000 per year for two weeks of annual training and one weekend of training per month.
Cadet Maj. Laurana Bradley, Whiskey Company executive officer, is a senior pursuing a degree in criminal justice with a concentration in forensics. Through the GMSS, she has appreciated her dual role as a cadet and a member of the Georgia Army National Guard and the associated benefits.
"It's relieved a lot of stress on my academics because I don't have to worry about finances. I get to be a college student in the Corps of Cadets and drill in my unit," Bradley said. "I am able to learn different things from the experiences and perspectives of my fellow enlisted soldiers as I develop myself as a leader. It also gives you a clear, defined path of where you're going after school."
GMSS recipients now may enlist as an officer candidate, which eliminates the requirement to attend basic and advanced individual training. They must meet Georgia Army National Guard entry requirements and must meet officer-contracting requirements within 12 months of signing the agreement.
2nd Lt. Jared Pate, '20, was a GMSS recipient and went on to be named a distinguished honor graduate of his Ranger School class in January 2022.
"One of the best decisions I've ever made is to enlist in the National Guard. It's provided me so much, and not only financially," Pate said. "I've learned a lot about myself. It's taught me a lot about the military, and I feel like it gave me a jump above other people in my graduating class."
