The Distinguished Raven FAC Memorial Scholarship
General – Several Distinguished Raven FAC Memorial Scholarships are presented annually to qualifying descendants (e.g., natural/adopted children, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, etc.) or legal wards of a Lao or Lao-Hmong individual who served in the Royal Laotian Military or Hmong forces in defense of the Kingdom of Laos between 1960 and 1975. This scholarship program is sponsored and administered by the Edgar Allen Poe Literary Society (EAPLS). EAPLS is a non-profit, last-man, veteran organization consisting of Forward Air Controllers (FACs) who lived in Laos, flew under the call sign “Raven” or its predecessor “Butterfly”, and supported Laotian and Hmong forces during the Southeast Asia conflict between 1966 and 1973. The number of scholarships and the amounts awarded vary. (N.B. Historically, 10-12 scholarships are presented each year with awards on a weighted scale as high as $2,500, but not less than $500 to $1000.) The awards are presented in memory of those Ravens, now deceased, who served and sacrificed that others may enjoy freedom and prosper. Scholarship donations may be made to EAPLS at 178 Wild Wood Drive, Decatur, TX 76234-4788.
Purpose – This scholarship program is meant to provide educational assistance to the descendants of those the Ravens supported in their fight for the defense of their country. This assistance is intended to encourage the individuals to further their education and to reward the qualities that the Ravens and Laotian/Hmong forces admire. The funds are provided directly to the recipient to assist with tuition, lab fees, books, and other direct educational expenses.
Eligibility – Descendants or legal wards of any Lao or Hmong individual who served in the Royal Laotian Military or Hmong forces in defense of the Kingdom of Laos between 1960 and 1975 are eligible to compete for these scholarships. No individual may be selected for two consecutive years, nor may he/she receive more than two scholarships. Applicants must be a high school senior or graduate, and must be enrolled or actively seeking to enroll full time in the coming academic year in an undergraduate program of studies leading to a Bachelor or Associate Degree at an accredited college, junior college, or university OR a Technical/Trade School in the United States.
Procedures – Completed applications must be mailed to Raven Scholarship, 4320 Saddle Ridge Trail, Flower Mound, Texas 75028. Applications must be postmarked not later than February 28 of the year for which the student is applying. A board of EAPLS members will review the applications and select the most deserving individuals based on an overall evaluation of the applicant’s academic achievement, goals, character, service beyond self, and the quality of their essay. Apparent need is also an important factor. For applicants planning to attend a Technical/Trade School, academic achievement is not a key determining factor. All applications become the property of EAPLS. Winning recipients will be asked to provide a digital photograph which may be published on the Raven FAC website. The board is solely responsible for selecting the scholarship recipients; the decisions of the board are final. The selected recipients will be notified no later than April 30 and the announcement will be posted on the Raven web site at https://ravens.org. Non-recipients will not be individually notified. If possible, the recipient’s school also will be notified and requested to make the presentation at their annual awards ceremony. If possible and appropriate, a Raven will make the presentation.
Application Requirements – All applicants must provide the following:
- Completed application form. RAVEN SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FORM
- One or two page essay describing applicant’s goals and any extenuating circumstances which make the applicant deserving of the scholarship.
- Copy of High School transcript.
- Two Letters of Recommendation (To: EAPLS) from adult members of your community (e.g. from school teachers/principals/extracurricular officials; youth/religious/civic/non-profit organization officials; public officials, employers, or business leaders). Letters may not come from the applicant’s immediate family members, from the family of any Raven FAC, or from anyone directly associated with the EAPLS organization. Letters should be on letterhead paper and not exceed a page in length.
Address any questions to Spike@ravens.org Include “Raven Scholarship” in the Subject line.