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http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/08/navy_scholarship_070828w/
Scholarship awarded, revoked, offered again
College freshman scrambles to pay tuition after Navys decision to withhold cash
By Zachary M. Peterson - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Aug 28, 2007 18:27:18 EDT
The Navy gives, the Navy takes away, and then the Navy gives back at least that was the experience of one young woman who intended to become a naval officer.
Danielle Littrell, 18, always wanted to be a Navy doctor, she said.
Last fall, it looked like that dream was on its way to becoming a reality. Littrell was handed a surfboard-sized check for $180,000 to pay for four years of college at Loyola University in Chicago, in exchange for four years of military service as a naval officer.
Nine months later, however, a bureaucratic nightmare ensued, forcing the Navy to rescind its generous offer and leaving Littrell scrambling to get student loans and an on-campus job to help cover her school expenses.
Littrells scholarship offer was revoked just weeks before she was set to leave for her Navy orientation; Defense Department medical officials determined that a herniated disc in her back made her unfit for duty.
Littrell, of Farmington, Mo., suffered the back injury in a 2005 high school basketball game, but had since been cleared by doctors to return to the court, where she started at power forward and center and helped the team finish second in the Missouri state finals. On March 16, Littrell disclosed her injury to the Navy doctor at Scott Air Force Base, Mo., where her physical examination was conducted. The doctor told her she had nothing to worry about, said her mother, Lori Littrell. Further, a medical form that listed the back problem was sent to the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board, her mother said.
Months later, in mid-July, Littrell received a one-page letter from the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board stating that her scholarship was being revoked because of the herniated disc. The family appealed the decision and submitted additional medical records indicating there was no weakness in her back, said her mother, Lori. On July 30, after the familys appeal, another letter arrived stating that the Navy was standing by the original decision of revoking the scholarship.
The revocation of the scholarship put Littrell in a tough position. She owed almost $30,000 in tuition to the university, and she was set to leave for her Navy orientation in a couple of weeks. She was forced to apply for financial aid, but it was past the date to apply for the funding. Instead, the family took out loans and Littrell now has a 20-hour-per-week on-campus job to help defer costs. The university said she could be eligible for financial aid after her first year of school.
Littrell had large scholarship offers from St. Louis University and the University of Minnesota, but it was past the date to accept them once the initial scholarship rejection letter came from the Navy, her mother noted.
Meanwhile, Lori Littrell told her local newspaper, which had written a story when Littrell was first awarded her scholarship, that the Navy had withdrawn it. The paper ran an article about Littrells case, and the story spread to other media outlets in the area. As a result, Littrells mother said, the Navy became responsive to her request that the service should reimburse Littrell for the loss.
On Aug. 24, Rear Adm. Arnold Lotring, commander of Naval Service Training Command, sent Littrell a letter offering to reinstate the scholarship.
Lori Littrell believes the reversal was the result of media reports.
At this time, we are concerned that the reversal of the decision to physically not qualify Danielle is simply a ploy on the Navys part to dismiss the negative attention that the Navy is currently receiving, Littrell wrote in a letter to Lotring. She provided a copy of the letter to Navy Times.
We always wanted her to have the scholarship, said Capt. Jack Hanzlik, spokesman for the chief of naval personnel. Hanzlik explained that the timing was regrettable in Littrells case, but he argued the case was a unique one.
Lori Littrell disagrees.
As we have gone through this process, I have received many, many phone calls and e-mails from families throughout the Midwest who have experienced similar situations, she wrote to Lotring. It has been brought to my attention the fact that this is not an isolated case and that somewhere along the line, someone needs to take a stand with our military and not allow them to treat our young people with lack of regard for their futures.
This year, the Navy awarded 2,050 NROTC scholarships, 147 of which were disqualified for medical reasons, according to Naval Personnel Command.
Hanzlik said the Navy was able to take another look at Danielles total health and determined her to be a worthy investment.
We put some stress on her and her family, and we wanted to do the right thing by reinstating the scholarship, Hanzlik said. This month, the Navy took another look at Danielles physical condition in a greater context, he added.
The Navy offers NROTC scholarships up front, pending the physical examination, he said. Littrells case took longer than normal to process, Hanzlik noted, but he did not say the Navy has any plans to change the way NROTC scholarships are awarded. U.S. Naval Academy appointments are also awarded in a similar fashion, he noted.
Lori Littrell said her daughters opinion of the military is now low as a result of the scholarship saga. She wants the Navy to pay for part of Littrells college education.
The Navy made an agreement to pay for her education in exchange for time served in the military, she wrote in the letter to Lotring. At no point did Danielle bow out of her agreement nor not live up to her commitment. However, because the Navy has defaulted in their original agreement (thus causing Danielle to lose out on other offers), I believe Danielle is now owed one-half of her education to be paid for by the Navy.
About $60,000 would cover the first two years of Danielles education at Loyola University, according to her mother.
The Navys offer stands as a scholarship with the obligation of military service, Hanzlik said.
Lori Littrell says a lawsuit is possible, but she doesnt want it to come to that.
I dont want it to go to that point, she said. Let the Navy compensate for their errors I feel that this is more than a reasonable request.
Lori Littrell had a conference call Tuesday afternoon with Lotring, Hanzlik and Lt. Cmdr. Melissa Schuermann, spokeswoman for Naval Surface Training Command at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., to discuss her request that the Navy give her daughter monetary compensation for the bureaucratic hassles.
[Lotring] does not feel that they owe her anything and that he does not have the authority or ability to compensate her, Lori Littrell said in regard to the conference call.
Lotring noted that Lori Littrell could take the case up with Navy Secretary Donald Winter.
My plan at this point is to pursue this with the [Navy secretary] and go from there, she said.
Our complaint is not with the Navys findings [to reject Danielle on medical grounds] we have an issue with the timing, Lori Littrell said. There were so many blunders along the way.
Scholarship awarded, revoked, offered again
College freshman scrambles to pay tuition after Navys decision to withhold cash
By Zachary M. Peterson - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Aug 28, 2007 18:27:18 EDT
The Navy gives, the Navy takes away, and then the Navy gives back at least that was the experience of one young woman who intended to become a naval officer.
Danielle Littrell, 18, always wanted to be a Navy doctor, she said.
Last fall, it looked like that dream was on its way to becoming a reality. Littrell was handed a surfboard-sized check for $180,000 to pay for four years of college at Loyola University in Chicago, in exchange for four years of military service as a naval officer.
Nine months later, however, a bureaucratic nightmare ensued, forcing the Navy to rescind its generous offer and leaving Littrell scrambling to get student loans and an on-campus job to help cover her school expenses.
Littrells scholarship offer was revoked just weeks before she was set to leave for her Navy orientation; Defense Department medical officials determined that a herniated disc in her back made her unfit for duty.
Littrell, of Farmington, Mo., suffered the back injury in a 2005 high school basketball game, but had since been cleared by doctors to return to the court, where she started at power forward and center and helped the team finish second in the Missouri state finals. On March 16, Littrell disclosed her injury to the Navy doctor at Scott Air Force Base, Mo., where her physical examination was conducted. The doctor told her she had nothing to worry about, said her mother, Lori Littrell. Further, a medical form that listed the back problem was sent to the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board, her mother said.
Months later, in mid-July, Littrell received a one-page letter from the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board stating that her scholarship was being revoked because of the herniated disc. The family appealed the decision and submitted additional medical records indicating there was no weakness in her back, said her mother, Lori. On July 30, after the familys appeal, another letter arrived stating that the Navy was standing by the original decision of revoking the scholarship.
The revocation of the scholarship put Littrell in a tough position. She owed almost $30,000 in tuition to the university, and she was set to leave for her Navy orientation in a couple of weeks. She was forced to apply for financial aid, but it was past the date to apply for the funding. Instead, the family took out loans and Littrell now has a 20-hour-per-week on-campus job to help defer costs. The university said she could be eligible for financial aid after her first year of school.
Littrell had large scholarship offers from St. Louis University and the University of Minnesota, but it was past the date to accept them once the initial scholarship rejection letter came from the Navy, her mother noted.
Meanwhile, Lori Littrell told her local newspaper, which had written a story when Littrell was first awarded her scholarship, that the Navy had withdrawn it. The paper ran an article about Littrells case, and the story spread to other media outlets in the area. As a result, Littrells mother said, the Navy became responsive to her request that the service should reimburse Littrell for the loss.
On Aug. 24, Rear Adm. Arnold Lotring, commander of Naval Service Training Command, sent Littrell a letter offering to reinstate the scholarship.
Lori Littrell believes the reversal was the result of media reports.
At this time, we are concerned that the reversal of the decision to physically not qualify Danielle is simply a ploy on the Navys part to dismiss the negative attention that the Navy is currently receiving, Littrell wrote in a letter to Lotring. She provided a copy of the letter to Navy Times.
We always wanted her to have the scholarship, said Capt. Jack Hanzlik, spokesman for the chief of naval personnel. Hanzlik explained that the timing was regrettable in Littrells case, but he argued the case was a unique one.
Lori Littrell disagrees.
As we have gone through this process, I have received many, many phone calls and e-mails from families throughout the Midwest who have experienced similar situations, she wrote to Lotring. It has been brought to my attention the fact that this is not an isolated case and that somewhere along the line, someone needs to take a stand with our military and not allow them to treat our young people with lack of regard for their futures.
This year, the Navy awarded 2,050 NROTC scholarships, 147 of which were disqualified for medical reasons, according to Naval Personnel Command.
Hanzlik said the Navy was able to take another look at Danielles total health and determined her to be a worthy investment.
We put some stress on her and her family, and we wanted to do the right thing by reinstating the scholarship, Hanzlik said. This month, the Navy took another look at Danielles physical condition in a greater context, he added.
The Navy offers NROTC scholarships up front, pending the physical examination, he said. Littrells case took longer than normal to process, Hanzlik noted, but he did not say the Navy has any plans to change the way NROTC scholarships are awarded. U.S. Naval Academy appointments are also awarded in a similar fashion, he noted.
Lori Littrell said her daughters opinion of the military is now low as a result of the scholarship saga. She wants the Navy to pay for part of Littrells college education.
The Navy made an agreement to pay for her education in exchange for time served in the military, she wrote in the letter to Lotring. At no point did Danielle bow out of her agreement nor not live up to her commitment. However, because the Navy has defaulted in their original agreement (thus causing Danielle to lose out on other offers), I believe Danielle is now owed one-half of her education to be paid for by the Navy.
About $60,000 would cover the first two years of Danielles education at Loyola University, according to her mother.
The Navys offer stands as a scholarship with the obligation of military service, Hanzlik said.
Lori Littrell says a lawsuit is possible, but she doesnt want it to come to that.
I dont want it to go to that point, she said. Let the Navy compensate for their errors I feel that this is more than a reasonable request.
Lori Littrell had a conference call Tuesday afternoon with Lotring, Hanzlik and Lt. Cmdr. Melissa Schuermann, spokeswoman for Naval Surface Training Command at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., to discuss her request that the Navy give her daughter monetary compensation for the bureaucratic hassles.
[Lotring] does not feel that they owe her anything and that he does not have the authority or ability to compensate her, Lori Littrell said in regard to the conference call.
Lotring noted that Lori Littrell could take the case up with Navy Secretary Donald Winter.
My plan at this point is to pursue this with the [Navy secretary] and go from there, she said.
Our complaint is not with the Navys findings [to reject Danielle on medical grounds] we have an issue with the timing, Lori Littrell said. There were so many blunders along the way.
