Navy-Marine Relief Society (NMCRS)

Since its inception back in 1904, the Navy-Marine Relief Society
(NMCRS) has been providing emergency financial assistance to active
duty and retired Navy and Marine Corps personnel as well as members of
their families.

An Overview

With over 180 offices ashore
and at sea, the Society offers help with basic costs of living,
including rent, groceries and utilities, as well as other essential
needs such as emergency transportation, medical and dental bills,
funeral expenses, necessary vehicle repairs, and pay issues. In
addition, loans are available to spouses and children of service
members for the purpose of educational training.

The NMCRS was
established following a suggestion that proceeds from the 1903
Army-Navy football game be split and used to provide much needed help
to widows and orphans of service members. Since that time, the Society
has grown tremendously and also offers loans or grants based on
financial need.

The following members qualify for financial aid and other assistance:

-
Active duty and retired members of the regular Navy and Marine Corps
Reservists on extended active duty and certain retired reservists.

- Dependents and dependent survivors of the above members, and
indigent mothers (aged 65 or older) of deceased service members with
limited resources and no family to help take care of them.

- Ex-spouses (unmarried former spouses) who were married to the
service member for a minimum of 20 years while they were on active
duty. (Also known as "20-20-20")
- All uniformed members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

A
full-time budget counselor is available to those members who would like
help with their finances. The Society also provides the assistance of
qualified nurses to visit new mothers and to tend to any other
health-related issues.

Educational Programs

Through the
NMCRS, Navy and Marine Corps families are able to pursue their
educational goals through financial help based on their needs. The
amount of assistance given is determined on a case-by-case basis. Here
are some of the available programs:

- Dependent children of Navy
or Marine Corps service members who died after retirement can receive
grants of up to $2,000 per academic year.

- Grants are also available to unmarried, dependent children of personnel who died while on active duty.

- Vice Admiral E.P. Travers Scholarship: All applicants must be
enrolled or accepted as full-time undergraduate students at
post-secondary institutions whose accreditation is accepted by the U.S.
Department of Education. Candidates must also have a minimum cumulative
GPA of 2.0. Grants of up to $2,000 per year are available to dependent
children and spouses of those on active duty as well as dependent
children of retired personnel.
- Travers Loan: This program provides an interest-free loan up to
a maximum amount of $3,000 for costs related to undergraduate training.
Students must meet the same criteria listed above. All loans are to be
paid back in full by allotment within a 24-month period. Learn more
about marine tuition assistance and navy tuition assistance.