Four students from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy received the Craig Newmark Scholarship, which provides tuition assistance to active-duty, veteran or military-connected students.

The fund, which awards $20,000 scholarships to 10 students, seeks to reduce the financial burden of college tuition for students involved in the military. The scholarship provides recipients the opportunity to work with Craig Newmark Philanthropies, a company that aids military families, on public policy projects within the McCourt School of Public Policy. 

Meghan Hall (GRD ’26), one of this year’s Newmark scholars and a military spouse, said she appreciates the opportunity the scholarship provides military spouses to create their own paths in independent careers.

“I think there is this prevailing idea that spousal sacrifice — whether of identity, job opportunities, or relationships — is the defining expectation of married military life,” Hall wrote to The Hoya. “This journey has taught me that public service comes in many forms. It is possible, for someone like me, to be both: a supporter of my husband’s military career as I pursue my own; a dedicated family member and master’s degree recipient; and more. There are many different paths to public service, and all are valid.”

Hall said the scholarship helps address the lack of funding for military-connected students that she has observed

“I am so grateful to be able to explore my professional passions with support from the Fund,” Hall wrote. “This type of opportunity — increased access to Master’s degree programming — is rare. Many scholarships for military-connected students are only available based on service member rank, or are for specific professions like healthcare and education.”

Cade Roy (GRD ’26), another Newmark scholar with multiple family members who served in the military, said he appreciates that the scholarship allows him to plan for the highest career aspirations and even inspire future generations.

“For years, I always wanted to get my PhD and be a professor,” Roy wrote to The Hoya. “I always felt that that was going to be my way of giving back, my own form of public service. Sharing a passion for a subject with other people, being able to be a mentor for students like others have done and are currently doing for me is what it’s all about.”

Roy said the scholarship provides significant relief to recipients financially.

“To be able to be at Georgetown and earn a Master’s degree without a high level of financial stress has been amazing,” Roy wrote. “These types of scholarships have helped keep me out of student debt, which I am incredibly grateful for.”

Steve Nava (GRD ’26), another Newmark scholar who has served in the military for 13 years, said this scholarship will enable him to prioritize his family and his education while he studies at McCourt.

“It really frees up a lot for my family and me, which is nice because my wife and I just had our first child last year,” Nava wrote to The Hoya. “This scholarship has enabled me to focus on being a present partner, parent, and student, all without having to worry about how I’m going to make the next tuition payment deadline.”

Nava, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, said he hopes to use his dual experiences in the military and public service to provide unique solutions to current national issues.

“I hope to be able to take the lessons I’ve learned from West Point, the army, and the McCourt School to better advise the decision-makers and lead the teams of policymakers working tirelessly to address the most pressing security, climate, energy, and economic issues we’re facing here at home and abroad,” Nava wrote.

Hall said she is particularly excited to leverage the scholarship to tell a more authentic story of military spousehood and advocate for others in her position.

“My hope is that by sharing my experiences, I can challenge perceptions about what it means to be military-connected, advocate for additional resources, and shine a light on the growing number of civilian partners looking to cultivate a sense of self complementary to, and beyond, the military,” Hall wrote. “It is possible to dream bigger than your spouse’s military orders. And I hope telling my story helps others realize the same!”