Travel Assistance Boot Camp Graduations
The mission of our Travel Assistance program is to support Marine Corps recruits by assisting one of his/her family members who shows significant financial need, to attend boot camp graduation events so the Marine is not alone. Click here to learn more about the program and who can apply.
READ THIS PAGE IN FULL
Do not submit the online application until you have read and understand the guidelines on this page. Submitting the application according to these guidelines and the time line provided is required to be considered for Travel Assistance.
WHEN TO APPLY
TIMELINE: If you feel you may qualify for Travel Assistance due to financial hardship, you may turn in your application beginning the week of TRAINING WEEK 2 of boot camp which is the start of the third week after your recruit steps on the yellow footprints for boot camp training. (Any time spent in quarantine is not considered a training week; do not consider quarantine time into the timeline equation.) Applications made before Training Week 2 or after Training Week 9 will not be taken into consideration regardless of the circumstances.
WHO CAN APPLY
Applicants must exhibit a financial hardship determined at the sole discretion of MarineParents.com staff during review of applications. Depending on donations, funds may be limited for the number of applications accepted per recruit. Applicants must meet one of the following familial criteria:
-
Couple: Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) of the Recruit
- one or both applicants must be the recruit's parent or legal guardian
- application must be completed jointly and travel as a couple
-
Individual: Parent/Legal Guardian of the Recruit
- applicant must be the recruit's parent or legal guardian
- application must be completed as an individual
-
Individual: Spouse of the Recruit
- applicant must be the recruit's legally married spouse
- application must be completed as an individual
TIME REQUIRED TO APPLY
Please review the section titled "information you need to know to apply". We encourage you to begin gathering information and copies of supporting documents at least one week prior to filling out the application online. If you have gathered all of the information required, the process will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
After completing the online application, you will be asked to submit copies of the required documentation. From the time we make the request to you, you will have three business days to send the documentation to us. Failure to submit required documentation within three business days will void your application.
The following documents will be required; for joint applications, both parties must submit required documentation. Documents must be current and your government-issued identification cannot be expired.
- Copy of Government-Issued Identification Card
- Copy of two recent pay stubs.
- Copy of recent documentation for other income such as food stamps, social security, and/or unemployment
- Copy of recent documentation for expenses such as car payment, rent or mortgage payment
- Copy of the envelope from a letter sent to you by your recruit to the address listed on your application.
Documentation must be sent electronically via email. Do not send documentation until AFTER you have completed the online application and have received your Application ID Number. Instructions for sending your supporting documentation will be sent to you in the email confirmation you receive from mpta@marineparents.com. Your unique Application ID Number will be sent to you in the same email. You will be asked to include the ID number in the email with documents you submit.
INFORMATION SECURITY
Your application will NOT include Social Security Numbers or Birthdates and we will not collect that information from you. Your application and any supporting documents you submit are used for the sole purpose of determining your financial need. The application is submitted on our secured server as a precautionary step. We secure your application and supporting documents at our corporate office, however we do not warrant or guarantee confidentiality of information you submit on the form.
APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS
If you qualify for travel assistance, the award will include reimbursement for a portion of your airline ticket which you must purchase yourself. The award amount will vary depending on assessment of your financial situation. Approved reimbursement for airline travel will be a check cut to you upon receipt of your flight itinerary and proof of purchase. An additional award may be granted to help offset the cost of overnight accomodations. The second award check will be mailed after graduation when you have met all the criteria including submission of a photo of you with your new Marine at graduation.
We need 5-10 business days to process your application after receiving your supporting documents. We are not able to accept phone calls from you during the review process but you may communicate with us via email with the information supplied to you confirming receipt of your application. Applicants will be notified of application status, either rejected or approved, when the review is complete. When your application is approved we will begin working with you to reimburse travel expenses as noted above.
The amount of Travel Assistance available will be dependent upon donations received and will not be confirmed until 1-2 weeks prior to graduation.
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS
Our prodedure for processing your application is very specific. Contacting the office by phone or sending documents prior to our requesting them WILL DELAY THE REVIEW PROCESS. Please respect the process; check your email frequently and only respond to actions from our staff and volunteers as requested. Trying to circumvent the application process and procedure WILL DELAY YOUR APPLICATION.
INFORMATION YOU'LL NEED
Gather the required information in advance of completing your application. We advise getting this step done during training weeks 8-9. Review the information in the "10 Sections" below to make sure you have all the necessary information including names, phone numbers, and addresses.
The application has 10 sections with questions to determine your financial need, including your income, place of employment and/or any other sources of income you may have. Company names, addresses and phone numbers will be required for employers, mortgage company or landlord, and caseworkers for state or federal income you may receive.
The 10 Sections Include:
- Application Guidelines
(verfication that you have read this page) - Information About Your Recruit
(His/Her Name, their RecruitER's rank and name, Ship Date, Graduation Date, Battalion and Company at Boot Camp) - Information About You, The Applicant
- Name and Contact Information
- Auto Loan
- All Sources of Income
(including names, addresses, phone numbers) - Information About Your Household
- Home Loan/Rent Amount
- Size of Residence
- Landlord/Mortgage Company and Contact Information
- Individuals Living in Your Home
- Information About Your Spouse
(if applying jointly, the same information as Section 3 for you is required for your spouse) - Copies of Supporting Documents
You will need to report income for your entire household. - An Electronic Copy of your Photo ID
(expired photo IDs will NOT be accepted) - Two Recent Pay Check Stubs
- Most Recent Auto Loan(s) Payments
- Most Recent Mortgage/Rent Payment Receipts
- Documentation of all state and federal aid received
- Why Do You Need Travel Assistance?
(a paragraph you write) - Questionnaire
- Agreement
- Submit Application
You will be required to enter all of the information on the application. If you are making a joint application, both parties should be prepared to answer all questions. Incomplete applications will be rejected without review or consideration. If you do not want to provide the required information, do not submit an application for Travel Assistance.
WHAT YOU AGREE TO
On the application for Travel Assistance, you will be asked whether or not you agree to statements and to completing the actions listed below. If you do not certify the information you submit is accurate or do not agree to complete these actions, do not submit an application for Travel Assistance.
- You agree to send copies of all required supporting documents as listed here and/or as requested by MarineParents.com staff during review of your application.
- You agree to MarineParents.com staff or third party verification of all information you submit in the application and supporting documents.
- You agree to send a photo to MarineParents.com of you and your recruit if s/he agrees, taken while ON THE DEPOT. The photo will be published on our website.
- You agree to allow MarineParents.com to publish your photo, first name, state, and dates you attended your recruit's graduation on their websites, e-newsletters and in printed publications.
- By submitting the application form electronically, you are certifying the information you have provided is truthful and accurate.
TIMELINE REMINDERS
You must adhere to the following timeline in your application process. Mark your calendar according to your recruit's matrix and training weeks with the following reminders:
- At Least 1 Week Prior to Submitting Application
Gather information and make copies of supporting documents. Make sure you know the information that will be asked on the application all of which is included on this page. - Beginning of Training Week 2 (or later)
You may be apply for travel assistance NO EARLIER than training week 2 and NO LATER than the end of training week 9. - Within 3 Business Days
AFTER we send an email to you requesting documents, send required SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS to MarineParents.com via email. Do NOT send documents prior to our email request. - Application In Review
We need 5-10 business days after receipt of your supporting documents to review your application. We will contact you with the decision; we cannot accept phone calls during this time. - Approval
We will contact you with the amount of your travel award as soon as your application has been approved.
THE APPLICATION
Request an authorization code to access the application by sending an email to MPTA@MarineParents.com. You must apply no earlier than training week 2 and no later than the end of training week 9. Response time TO RECEIVE THE AUTHORIZATION CODE is 1-2 business days. If you request a code on Friday or over the weekend, you will not receive a response until the following TUESDAY. Once you have an authorization code, you may Click for Application.
AFTER YOU APPLY
REMEMBER: DO NOT call the office and DO NOT send supporting documents until requested to do so.
You will receive acknowledgement that the application has been received on the FOLLOWING business day AFTER you submit your online application. Submitting duplicate applications or contacting the office WILL DELAY the process; PLEASE be patient. If you do not hear from us by the END of the FOLLOWING business day AFTER you've applied, check your spam filter. Wait an additional FULL BUSINESS DAY before contacting us.
