A Tamaqua Area High School graduate will have most of his college expenses paid for through an Army National Guard scholarship.

Private Second Class Nathan Milkovits was recently presented with a $96,000 Army National Guard Minuteman Scholarship.

SFC Craig Strohl, Army National Guard recruiter for Tamaqua, Panther Valley, Marian, Shenadoah, Mahanoy Area and Weatherly, presented Milkovits with the scholarship, which he will use during his time at Bloomsburg University. Milkovits will then join the college’s ROTC program.

“His tuition, books, and room and board are paid for free until he receives his degree,” Strohl said. “Once he graduates, he will serve the Army National Guard as an officer.”

Milkovits is a 2022 graduate of Tamaqua, where he played football and wrestled.

To qualify for the scholarship, Milkovits had to compete against several applicants.

He had to have a GPA of 3.3 or higher throughout his four years of high school; have no disciplinary issues, clean criminal record, and be physically fit. He also had to take the Army Combat Fitness Test and score high on it, do an interview with the College ROTC, write an essay explaining why he should be awarded this scholarship, and be accepted to that school.

“Milkovits initially joined the National Guard through me and I saw his potential and I put him in for the scholarship and mentored him throughout his senior year,” Strohl said.

“The Army National Guard has a lot of opportunities to pay for college and these kids only have to serve one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. They can still play sports in college and serve their country at the same time.”

For more information on the Army National Guard or to join, Strohl can be reached at 570-517-4344; craig.h.strohl.mil@army.mil; or 106 Ardmore Ave., Tamaqua.