For veterans returning to civilian life, pursuing higher education can be a daunting and costly endeavor. However, there are numerous organizations and institutions that recognize the sacrifices and contributions of our brave servicemen and women and offer scholarships to support their academic pursuits. In this article, we have compiled a comprehensive list of 28 scholarships specifically designed for veteran students. From academic achievement to financial need, these scholarships cover a wide range of qualifications and provide valuable opportunities for our nation’s heroes to achieve their educational goals. Read on to discover the various scholarships available for veteran students.
Kim and Harold Louie Family Foundation Scholarship Program – Varies
Kim and Harold Louie Family Foundation Scholarships are annually awarded to high-achieving students entering higher education. Each applicant must be going into freshman year, plan on attending as a full-time student for at least two years, have a grade point average between 3.7 and 4.0 on a 4.0 scale, and have a minimum SAT score of 1300 or a minimum ACT score of 27. Special consideration will be noted for applicants whose parents are U.S. veterans or are currently in the U.S. military, have a demonstrated financial need, or are first-generation college students.
Daughters of the Cincinnati Scholarship – $16,000-$20,000 (disbursed over 4 years)
Daughters of the Cincinnati offers annual renewable scholarships to the daughters of career-commissioned officers in the U.S. military. Applicants must be female, high school seniors, and have at least one parent who is on active duty, retired, or deceased while on active duty.
AFCEA DC STEM Scholarships – Varies
Each year, AFCEA Washington, DC awards STEM scholarships to graduating high school seniors. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, live within the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (greater DC area), be either graduating from high school or transitioning from a two-year community college to a four-year college or university, and be accepted to a U.S. accredited college or university in a four-year, full-time STEM curriculum. Students whose family members include current members of the military, Veteran, and AFCEA DC chapter members are encouraged to apply.
Heroes’ Legacy Scholarships – Varies
The Fisher House Foundation, a charitable foundation dedicated to providing housing for military and veteran families, runs the Heroes’ Legacy Scholarships program, which honors not just who have fallen in battle, but those who have died or have become disabled through their active military service since September 11, 2001. To qualify, applicants must be the dependent unmarried children under age 23 of active-duty personnel, Reserve/Guard and retired military members, or survivors of service members who died while on active duty and meet one of the these criteria: one of the parents died, became disabled, or received a permanent and total compensation rating of 100% from the DOD or Department of Veteran Affairs, while serving on active duty on or after September 11, 2001 in any branch or component of the US Armed Forces; they must be enrolled or planning to enroll full-time in an undergraduate degree program leading to a bachelor’s degree, or a community college program designed for direct transfer into a four-year program; they satisfy the minimum cumulative GPA requirement (3.0 on a 4.0 for high school seniors, 2.5 for college students).
Fisher House Foundation Scholarships for Military Children – $2,000
The Fisher House Foundation, a charitable foundation dedicated to providing housing for military and veteran families, runs a Scholarships for Military Children Program that provides scholarships for students whose parents are serving in or retired from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard. In order to qualify, they must be enrolled or planning to enroll full-time in an undergraduate degree program leading to a bachelor’s degree, or a community college program designed for direct transfer into a four-year program.
Folds of Honor Scholarship – Up to $5,000
Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization, has two scholarships that support military families. The Children’s Fund Scholarship is for primary and secondary education students and can be used for private school or tutoring services (from an established, licensed business). The Higher Education Scholarship is for postsecondary students. The award amount is up to $5,000 per academic year and is based on a student’s “unmet need.” Recipients must reapply each year to get the scholarship in successive years. To qualify for the Children’s Fund Scholarship, applicants must be enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited private school or tutoring institution, be at least five years old (by September 1st of calendar year applying in) and enrolled in full-time Kindergarten program, and be a dependent of a service member. To qualify for the Higher Education Scholarship, applicants must be enrolled or planning to enroll in a two-year, four-year, or postgraduate program of study at an accredited college or university, or be enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited technical or trade school program, which results in a certificate or license, and be a dependent or spouse of a service member.
Charles W. and Annette Hill Scholarship – $1,000
The American Legion Department of Kansas, the Kansas state branch of the largest veterans organization in the United States, offers the Charles W. and Annette Hill Scholarship to Kansas high school seniors, college freshmen, and college sophomores who are the descendents of wartime veterans and who have been members of the Kansas American Legion for at least three years. Descendents of deceased American Legion members are eligible if the member’s dues were paid at the time of their death. Applicants need to have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Preference is given to applicants desiring to engage in the fields of science, engineering, or business administration.
Graydon & Myrth Fox Scholarship – $1,000-$5,000
The Graydon & Myrth Fox Scholarship is offered to U.S. Armed Services veterans, their surviving spouses, and their dependent children and grandchildren. Preference for the award is given to wounded personnel, or the dependent children and grandchildren of personnel killed or wounded while on active duty. The award is offered through the Sacramento Region Community Foundation but is open to students from anywhere in the United States.
Raytheon Missiles & Defense SPY-6 Scholarship – $10,000
The Raytheon Missiles & Defense SPY-6 Scholarship helps Navy veterans afford higher education. Applicants must be Navy or Navy Reserve veterans, be entering sophomore, junior, or senior year of undergraduate study or be enrolled in graduate school, attend an accredited four-year college or university in the United States full-time, and be in good veteran standing.
Comcast NBCUniversal-SVA Scholarship – $12,000
Together, Comcast NBCUniversal and the Student Veteran of America offer scholarships to student veterans interested in the entertainment field. Applicants must be pursuing a bachelor’s or graduate degree from an accredited two-year or four-year institution in the United States, show proof of military service, and meet a minimum GPA requirement of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Google SVA Scholarship – $10,000
Together, Google and the Student Veteran of America (SVA) offer scholarships to student veterans who are pursuing university degrees in the field of computer science. Applicants must be currently enrolled, or on track to be enrolled, as full-time undergraduate or graduate students at a university in the United States, be of student veteran or active duty status, have received an honorable discharge or are in good standing, maintain good academic performance, and be pursuing a computer science or computer engineering degree, or a degree in a closely related technical field.
Two Ten Footwear Warriors Scholarship – Up to $4,000 (renewable for up to 4 years)
Offered by the Two Ten Footwear Foundation, the Footwear Warriors Scholarship helps veterans connected to the footwear industry pay for higher education. Applicants or their parents must have a minimum of two years’ employment in the footwear industry. Additionally, applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens; be veterans; and be enrolled or about to enroll in an accredited two-or four-year college, university, vocational/technical school, or nursing school. Each recipient must maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher to renew the scholarship.
25th Infantry Division Scholarship – Up to $1,500
The 25th Infantry Division Association, an organization of veterans who served in the U.S. military’s 25th Infantry Division, offers a scholarship open to the children and grandchildren of active members of the Association, as well as the children of members of the 25th Infantry Division who died in active combat with the Division.
Intel-AFCEA Scholarship – $5,000 (undergraduate), $10,000 (graduate)
Intel has partnered with AFCEA to offer an Intel-AFCEA Scholarship for STEM students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate (Master’s or PhD) degree. In addition to the scholarship funding ($5,000 for undergraduate and $10,000 for graduate), the winners have a potential opportunity for an Intel Mentor, Intel job (internship or full-time), and access to training, research, Intel architecture, networking with other Intel scholars, and more. Applicants must be: a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; a service Veteran or active-duty service member, or a “Gold Star Family Member,” a full-time student in an accredited U.S. University currently pursuing an undergraduate or graduate (Master’s or PhD) degree; have a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA; and be pursuing a STEM degree.
AFCEA War Veterans Scholarships – $2,500
The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) annually offers multiple War Veterans Scholarships to persons on active duty in the uniformed military services and to honorably discharged U.S. military veterans (including Reservists and National Guard personnel). To qualify, applicants must be currently enrolled and attending classes in an undergraduate program, part-time or full-time, in an eligible STEM major degree program at an accredited four-year college or university in the United States. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, be a sophomore or junior at the time of application, be majoring in a STEM field, and meet a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement. The scholarship is also open to students who are actively pursuing a credential/licensure for the purpose of teaching STEM subjects at a U.S. elementary, middle/intermediate and high schools are eligible.
Colonel Kathleen Swacina Scholarship – $1,500
The COL Kathleen Swacina Scholarship Fund awards one female college student a $1,500 scholarship to be applied toward the student’s ongoing higher-level academic education at an accredited four-year school. Community college students in their first two years are eligible if they will continue on to an accredited four-year college or university. Applicants must be: a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or enrolled in a ROTC program, an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, or a direct descendant of an AFCEA member or an honorably discharged member of the Armed Forces; enrolled as a full-time college student at an accredited institution attending schools in or residing in the states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama, including community colleges; maintain a 2.8 GPA; and major in a STEM-related area of study. Each year, the scholarship has two deadlines: the spring scholarship opens in January and closes end of May and the fall scholarship opens in October and closes end of November.
Army Women’s Foundation Legacy Scholarship – $1,000-$3,000
The Army Women’s Foundation offers annual scholarships to help current and past soldiers and their children afford higher education. Applicants must be, or be the direct descendants of, women who have served in the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard, have a GPA of at least 2.5 or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (depending on the degree path), and have graduated from high school. Scholarships are available for those pursuing certificates, associate’s degrees, undergraduate degrees, graduate and doctoral degrees.
Gilman Scholarship – Up to $5,000
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs sponsors the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, which provides funding for U.S. citizens who require financial assistance to study or intern abroad. To be eligible for the Gilman Program, applicants must be an undergraduate student in good standing at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States (including both two-year and four-year institutions), be receiving a Federal Pell Grant during the time of application or provide proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant during the term of their study abroad program or internship, and be in the process of applying to, or accepted to, a credit-bearing study abroad or internship program. Veterans of military service are encouraged to apply, and preference is given to veterans when other factors are equivalent. Students can study and intern abroad during the spring, summer, fall, winter, or academic year term. Each year, the Gilman program offers two deadlines: October and March. The October deadline applies to study abroad or internship programs that run between December 1 to October 31. The March deadline applies to studying or interning abroad programs between May 1 and April 30. Please note also that the application deadline is in Pacific Time (PT).
Knowbe4 Veterans, Guard, Reserve & Spouse Cybersecurity Scholarship – Up to $13,000
Administered by the Center for Cyber Safety and Education and offered by KnowBe4, Inc., a company that provides security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, the Knowbe4 Veterans, Guard, Reserve & Spouse Cybersecurity Scholarship awards up to $13,000 ($10,000 to be applied to tuition, fees, books, and electronics and up to $3,000 to on-campus housing) to military veterans or their spouse who are interested in pursuing careers in cybersecurity. Applicants must be (a) honorably discharged U.S. military veterans (including Reservists and National Guard personnel; (b) be current or former service in the National Guard or Reserve; or (c) be the spouse, or surviving spouse, of active or honorably discharged Military, Veteran, Guard, or Reserve. Additionally, applicants must be an individual pursuing, or plan to pursue, a degree with a focus on cybersecurity, information assurance, or a similar field; be an undergraduate freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student (PhD students are excluded); meet a minimum GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale (or an analogous rank based on a comparable scale); be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; be attending a college or university in the United States full-time or part-time; and be attending on-campus or online.
American Legion Auxiliary Spirit of Youth Scholarship for Junior Members – $5,000
The American Legion Auxiliary, an organization representing the spouses, mothers, daughters, granddaughters, and sisters of war veterans, offers the Spirit of Youth Scholarship for Junior Members, which provides $5,000 in financial aid to Junior American Legion Auxiliary members who have held a minimum three years of membership.
American Legion Legacy Scholarship – Up to $20,000
The American Legion, a U.S. veterans association, offers the Legacy Scholarship. This is a needs-based scholarship awarded to the children of U.S. military members who died while on active duty after September 11, 2001. Children of post-9/11 veterans who receive a combined disability rating of 50% or greater by the Department of Veteran Affairs also qualify. Application opens on January 1, annually.
Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation – Up to $40,000 (over 4 years)
The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (MCSF) provides need-based scholarships to military children to support them in their pursuit of an associate’s or undergraduate degree or a non-degree career and technical certificate program. To date, MCSF has awarded scholarships worth nearly $185 million in honor of Marines. To qualify, applicants must be the child or step-child of (i) an active duty, reserve, or veteran U.S. Marine, (ii) a Marine killed while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, or (iii) an active duty, reserve, or veteran U.S. Navy Corpsman, Navy Chaplain or Religious Program Specialist, who is or was attached to a U.S. Marine Corps unit or who was killed while serving with a U.S. Marine Corps unit; meet a cumulative GPA of 2.0; and meet the income threshold. Students must submit their application along with supporting documentation, such as tax documents, transcripts, and evidence of military service, by the deadline.
Scholarships for Military Children – $2,000
The Scholarships for Military Children program annually provides hundreds of scholarships for the children of active and retired soldiers. Applicants must the dependents of active duty, reserve, retired, or deceased members of the military and possess a U.S. Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card. Additionally, applicants must be enrolled or plan to enroll in a full-time undergraduate degree-seeking program. Community or junior college applicants need to be in a program that will allow transfer directly into a four-year program. High school applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and college applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
NBCC Foundation Military Scholarship – $8,000
The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) Foundation’s Military Scholarship is annually awarded to honorable veterans or active-duty U.S. military service members and their spouses who are pursuing master’s degrees in counseling. Applicants must be be enrolled full-time in a CACREP-accredited counseling master’s program, demonstrate knowledge of and experience with military personnel and families, commit to becoming board certified by applying for the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential prior to graduation and to completing the application process, and be committed to providing mental health services to service members and/or veterans within one year after graduating and for at least two years after graduation.
Purple Heart Scholarship Fund – $1,000-$5,000
Each year, the Purple Heart Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to college-bound soldiers who’ve been awarded the Purple Heart. Applicants must be high school graduates or have successfully completed a GED program, be accepted to or enrolled as full-time undergraduate students at an accredited college, university, or trade school at the time the scholarship is awarded, maintain a GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, have been awarded the Purple Heart, and be members of the armed forces in good standing or who have separated from service honorably.
Fry Scholarship – Full tuition, housing, books and supplies
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship) is meant for the children and surviving spouse of a member of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, or a member of the Selected Reserve who died from a service-connected disability on or after September 11, 2001. They can get up to 36 months of benefits, covering full in-state tuition costs at public schools and up to $22,805.34 per year for training at private or out-of-state schools, housing, and books and supplies. A surviving spouse does not qualify if they are remarried, but children of a service member qualify whether they are married or unmarried. Children of a service member who turned 18 or graduate from high school before January 1, 2013 can get a Fry Scholarship until they are 33 years old, while those who turn 18 or graduate from high school after January 1, 2013 can get a Fry Scholarship at any age over 18 or after you graduate (whichever comes first). Children of a member of the Selected Reserve, who died from a service-connected disability while not on active duty, can get a Fry Scholarship at any time and at any age.
VFW ‘Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship’ – Up to $5,000
Offered by Student Veteran of America and Sport Clips Haircuts, the VFW Help A Hero Scholarship provides financial support to help service members and veterans afford higher education. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, be retired, honorably discharged, active duty, or members of the National Guard or Reserve, have completed Basic Training and follow-on training, be separated with or currently hold a military rank of E-5 or below, demonstrate financial need, and be accepted to or currently enrolled in a VA-approved program or school at an accredited post-secondary institution.
Women Marines Association Scholarship Program – $1,500-$5,000
The Women Marines Association annually awards a range of scholarships to eligible students. Applicants need to be sponsored by a Women Marines Association member. They must have served or be serving in the Marine Corps or Reserve, be a direct descendant, sibling or descendant of a sibling of a member of the Marines or have completed two years in a Marine JROTC program. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required.
In conclusion, the journey to finding the perfect scholarship doesn’t have to be daunting. Whether you’re just beginning your search or looking to expand your options, our comprehensive scholarship directory offers a wide range of opportunities catering to diverse academic interests and backgrounds. For a more personalized approach, consider leveraging the power of TUN AI, our innovative tool designed to match you with scholarships uniquely suited to your profile. Start exploring today and take a step closer to securing the financial support you need for your educational journey.