WINK News investigates Ben Carson’s West Point scholarship claims

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Michael Vadon / CC BY-SA 2.0

TAMPA, Fla.- Republican Presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson now says he never applied, nor was granted admission to West Point, but he’s sticking to his story about being offered a scholarship.

Carson talks about the offer allegedly made in 1969 in his autobiography “Gifted Hands.”

However, there’s no such thing as a “full scholarship” to West Point. Everyone accepted receives free tuition in exchange for their military service.

When asked about that on ABC News, Carson said the school uses the terminology.

“Go look on the West Point website, and you’ll see those specific words, ‘full scholarship to West Point,'” Carson said on November 8th.

Our research team at PolitiFact searched the specific words ‘full scholarship to West Point,’ which turned up no results in Google and West Point’s own website.

On the school’s diversity page though, it states that “this four-year college experience is a fully funded scholarship.”

Because of that, PolitiFact rates Carson’s claim MOSTLY TRUE on the Truth-o-Meter.

PolitiFact reporter Joshua Gillin says PolitiFact researchers also found publications and recruitment ads that use the words ‘full scholarship.’

“I was offered a full scholarship to West Point, got to meet General Westmoreland, go to Congressional Medal of Honor dinners, but decided really my pathway would be medicine,” Carson said in an October interview with Charlie Rose.

Gillin notes that while recruiter may use the term ‘full scholarship,’ that itself would not guarantee someone’s acceptance.

“We need to keep in mind here that there is this lengthy process and it involves more than just being told that you would be allowed to go,” Gillin said.

To read the full fact-check, click here.

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