Having the scholarship to pursue your education at a prestigious school may be one of the most awaited dreams for any student or even those aspiring to return to school. It would be anyone's goal to be accepted at the University of Oxford since it is one of the most famed schools to be known. Recently, 32 students from various universities across the country were selected to attend the institution. These students have been chosen to be Rhodes scholarship recipients for the coming school year 2025. Four West Point cadets have been picked to join the program.

The Rhodes Scholarship Recipients Have Been Chosen

Around 3,000 U.S. students have filled out their application to attend Oxford University to finish their postgraduate degrees starting in October 2025. 

This massive number of applicants has been trimmed down to 865, and only 238 were picked to join the interview session until the final number of students joining the program was announced. 

 in West Point from Eastern Mennonite University and California's Pepperdine University.

According to the American secretary of the Rhodes Trust, Ramona L. Doyle, Rhodes scholarship recipients should also have an excellent purpose for social influence and a unique ability to collaborate to achieve their goals. This is in addition to having academic excellence. 

These recipients should be committed to creating a huge difference for the betterment of the world, have a vital concern for other's welfare, and be acutely conscious of injustices.

Doyles even added that the Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and the best-known award for international study and the most prominent academic award open to American college graduates.

What Does the Rhodes Scholarship Package Look Like?

With the announcement last Sunday, there are now a total of 3,674 American Rhodes scholarship recipients coming from 329 universities and colleges. There have also been 675 women who won the scholarship despite being eligible to apply since 1976.

Those who have been chosen for class 2024 were the first to take part in the in-person screening since the outbreak of COVID-19. During the past three years, everything has been done online.

The program usually lasts about two to four years, and the scholarship will cover everything, including transportation and living expenses stipend. According to reports, the scholarship is valued at around $75,000 annually and may reach $250,000 if the scholar remains in their department for four years.

The sponsorship of the Rhodes scholarship recipient was created in 1902 by 

; she is also the founder of a diamond mining and manufacturing company, De Beers. The inaugural class began in 1903, and the first scholars from the United States arrived a year later.

A Closer Look at How the Rhodes Scholarship Process Works

Those who want to be a Rhodes scholarship recipient need to undergo a two-stage process. 

Aspirants who are residents of the United States, U.S. territories, or the District of Columbia must have an endorsement coming from their university or college. 

Finalists will undergo interviews with the district committees, and those who are picked will usually be announced in November. 

It may be a different case for international students as they must apply through their country's constituency, which may have a different timeline.

Cadet Sarah Cao is an International Affairs and Chinese double major at West Point, with a minor in Terrorism Studies. 

She has completed internships at the Center for Naval Analyses and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, presenting her research at 6 conference panels. 

She is also a Battalion Commander and leader on the International Affairs Forum and Chinese Language and Cultural Association.

With this scholarship, Cao plans to get a Master of Science in Global Governance and Diplomacy and a Master of Science in Contemporary Chinese Studies.

Cadet Shepherd Dzina is an Economics major and the Brigade Executive Officer at West Point.

Dzina completed an internship at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. 

Dzina has plans to be commissioned into the Infantry branch and wants to pursue a career in Civil Affairs. 

With this scholarship, he is getting a Master of Science in Economics for Development and a Master of Science in Global Governance and Diplomacy.

Cadet Gabriella Sorrentino is an American History and Philosophy double major at West Point. 

She is working on a dual thesis, and was a contributing editor on an memoir. 

Sorrentino plans to pursue a career in the Field Artillery branch and then the Judge Advocate General Corps. 

With this scholarship, she wants to get a Master of Science in Migration Studies and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy.

Cadet Ava Spinar is a Life Science major at West Point, and has served as a Commander of Cadet Basic Training.

Spinar wishes to become an Army physician and lead the military medical system. 

With this scholarship, she plans to get a Master of Science in Global Health Science and Epidemiology and a Master of Science in Genomic Medicine.

Other Educational Assistance Opportunities for the Military

If you have yet to be selected to be on the list of Rhodes scholarship recipients, there are still other ways you can pursue your studies. 

Service members must first contact an education counselor regarding the specifics of tuition assistance. This can be done by visiting their local installation education office or going online to a virtual education center. 

Every service branch has its own application form and procedures.

Before enrolling, you may also be required to create an education plan or complete the tuition assistance orientation. The assistance may also be used to pursue degree programs at universities and colleges nationally accredited by an accrediting body and recognized by 

. You can also visit their website to check if the school is accredited.

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Where should we put the U.S. Space Command headquarters you might be wondering. Well, it depends on who you ask. There were efforts to put the facility permanently in Alabama by then-President Donald Trump but a “permanent” decision by President Biden in 2023, decided to keep it in Colorado. Now, Trump is back and it’s believed that he will push to have the headquarters moved to Alabama again.

Trump May Move U.S. Space Command Headquarters to Alabama

Now that Trump is gearing up to be back for a second term as President, there are beliefs that he will overturn Biden’s decision to put the U.S. Space Command in Colorado permanently.

Trump wanted it in Alabama during his first term and despite Biden’s call to keep the facility at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, once again, a move to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, is garnering attention.

, speaking on a radio station in Mobile on the subject of Trump reversing the decision while campaigning.

"I think you'll see in the first week that he's in office, he'll sign an executive order reversing Biden's directive, and we will start construction next year in Huntsville," said Rep. Mike Rogers.

Trump already made a decision on the Space Command headquarters location, but not everyone was on board. It should come as no surprise that Colorado lawmakers disagreed with the move.

Colorado has a strong U.S. Air Force (USAF) and U.S. Space Force (USAF) presence.

Lawmakers were arguing that reports were needed to make sure that the selection of Alabama was made using accurate data and legitimacy.

While an inspector general probe found flaws in the process, they did find that the move to Alabama was a legitimate one.

 would show a lack of “transparency and credibility,” with the group also finding the decision was influenced by an “appearance of bias.”

It should come as no surprise that once Biden moved the U.S. Space Command headquarters to Peterson SFB, where it has been on a temporary basis anyway, Rogers wanted new investigative reports done as well.

The debate over U.S. Space Command’s headquarters has left military families wondering what's next, as Colorado lawmakers worry that moving the base to Alabama could limit service members' reproductive rights due to the state's strict abortion laws.

Considering the amount of control Republicans have during the next Trump administration, complex politics from both parties still exist, but it could be difficult to prevent the move.

These issues underscore the broader political divide on military policy, space operations, and reproductive rights that continue to affect active duty and Veterans along with their families.

U.S. Space Command Headquarters Should Go Where It Makes the Most Sense for National Security

Although there are no easy solutions to any military decision, politics are the last reason the American Armed Forces should be making choices that affect national security.

Space above and the Earth below are getting more and more connected. Where we put our troops that are defending American interests in both should be an area that gives us an overall advantage to defend our nation.

It’s still too early to know for sure if Trump is going to move the U.S. Space Command headquarters location back to Alabama but if he does, it should be in the best interest of our nation, not because of a political move.

TRICARE Policy Changes Could Cause You to Pay More in 2025

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A healthcare program is vital since getting medical help or assistance can be expensive. It is good for active service members to have TRICARE because it also covers their family members, which is a great help. However, the TRICARE policy changes are coming as it is expected that retirees and military households will be paying more next year, and it is expected that the increase will be around 2% to 3%. The changes will take effect immediately on January 1, and the costs will depend on your plan.

The main issue with the TRICARE cost change is inflation, which affected Prime and Select Plans. However, other plans, such as the Retired Reserve, Continued Health Care Benefit Program, TRICARE Reserve Select, and Young Adult, are solely based on the costs acquired by the beneficiary pool. Furthermore, the rate increase for the TRICARE Retired Reserve and TRICARE Young Adult will show a significant increase.

TRICARE is not available for everyone as a person is eligible to be able to avail of one. For a person to be eligible for this, they should be a uniformed service member, a family member of a troop, a national reserve, a former spouse, a survivor, a recipient of a Medal of Honor, and those who will fall in the eligibility of the 

Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)

There are two types of beneficiaries that you can avail yourself of: the sponsors and the family members. The benefits and plans you will be receiving will depend on the category you're in.

Recently, the military announced that there will be a change in the TRICARE costs since the new rates have been out. Most of the affected users are from TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select, mainly in their deductibles and annual enrollment fees, with smaller increases in medical service copayments. One of the huge changes in 2025 is the monthly premiums for TRICARE Young Adult members and 

The TRICARE open enrollment is now open. This will allow its members to update their health insurance coverage for next year, and it will run from November 11 to December 10. Due to the TRICARE policy changes, the TRICARE Dental Program has already changed since November 1, carrying the new rates until February 2025. However, the current cost of the TRICARE Pharmacy Program will go through the last quarter of 2025.

TRICARE Prime might be the greater option since it is cheaper than select, especially if you are registered in a military treatment facility (MTF). However, Select is a much greater option for many since it's more flexible.

However, the distinction in maximum out-of-pocket costs has grown since the TRICARE Select was raised from $3,000 to $3,500 in 2021 and has been adjusted each year. Select will increase to around $4,261, and Prime will remain at $3,000.

Other Details About TRICARE Policy Changes for 2025

For the TRICARE Group, the costs will depend on the group it belongs to. It is also determined by the date a troop enlisted in the military. 

Group A will have the members who entered before January 1, 2018, and the rest will be in Group B, those who entered after that date. 

For any deductibles, TRICARE select users will need to pay for their healthcare services; then, the expenses will be refundable, but remember that this will increase in 2025. The good news for those who are using Prime is that they will not pay any deductibles.

Group A members will not see any shifts to the deductible amount. However, service members whose rank falls under E-4 or below will have an increase in their deductible from $125 to $128. There will also be an increase in the copayments as the TRICARE policy changes in 2025 for Group A will remain the same; it's different from Group B since there will be an increase from $18 to $19.

Those retirees who are using TRICARE Select will have an increase of $36 to $37 if they are in Group A, but if they are in Group B, it shall be around $31 to $32.

As for the catastrophic cap, Group A will experience an increase from $4,157 to $4,261, while Group B will have $4,399 to $4,509. At the same time, other members who have either 

 will stay at $1,000 annually for Group A, while those who are in the second group will see a change of $1,256 to $1,288.


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