Vets Family Scholarships

Coast Guard Foundation, Inc.

The foundation administers several scholarships for Coast Guard enlisted personnel and their dependents. Scholastic promise, motivation, moral character, leadership qualities, and good citizenship are major considerations for the selection of awardees for all scholarships administered by the Coast Guard Foundation. Financial need may be taken into consideration when determining awards.

Arnold Sobel Scholarship: Four scholarships of up to $5,000 per year are awarded to dependent children of enlisted members of the U.S. Coast Guard on active duty, retired or deceased, or to reservists who are currently on extended active duty 180 days or more.

Coast Guard Foundation Scholarship: Scholarships of up to $5,000 per year are awarded to dependent children of enlisted members of the U.S. Coast Guard on active duty, retired or deceased, or to reservists who are currently on extended active duty 180 days or more.

Enlisted Education Grant: The program offers scholarships of up to $350 for active duty enlisted personnel in the pay grades E-3 to E-9 with two or more years of Coast Guard service.

The Fallen Heroes Scholarship: A partial scholarship for a maximum of four years at an accredited college or university is awarded to family members of Coast Guard personnel who have died in the line of duty.

U.S.A.A. Family Reserve Enlisted Scholarship: Four scholarships of $750 are awarded to U.S. Coast Guard enlisted reservists or their dependents.

Dolphin Scholarship Foundation

The foundation provides undergraduate scholarships to children and stepchildren of eligible members of the U.S. Navy Submarine Service.  The foundation awards scholarships based on academic proficiency, financial need, and commitment to excellence in school and community activities.

Application Information: Application form required.

Deadline(s): March 15

Fisher House Foundation, Inc.

The foundation provides financial assistance to current members of the U.S. armed services, veterans, and their families. Scholarships are also provided to military families, to recognize the readiness of the fighting forces, and to celebrate the role of the commissary in the military community.

Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarships: Scholarships ranging between $500 and $1,000 are available to military spouses to obtain professional certification or to attend post-secondary or graduate school. Scholarship funds may be used for tuition, fees, and school room and board.

Newman’s Own Award: $75,000 in grant money is available to eligible organizations who present an innovative plan to improve the quality of life and support military families. Eligible applicants must support an Active Duty, National Guard, or Reserve unit or installation, and be tax-exempt, a private organization, or a volunteer organization. The largest grant possible to a single organization is $15,000.

Scholarships for Military Children: A minimum of one $1,500 scholarship will be awarded at every commissary location where qualified applications are received. The scholarship provides for payment of tuition, books, lab fees, and room and board. Applicant must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA or above on a 4.0 basis. Visit http://www.militaryscholar.org for more information.

Application Information: Application form required.

Deadline(s): March 15 for Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarships

Freedom Alliance

The alliance aims to advance the American heritage of freedom by honoring and encouraging military service, defending the sovereignty of the United States, and promoting a strong national defense.

Scholarships: One-year scholarships are awarded annually to high school seniors, high school graduates, or registered undergraduate students of accredited colleges or to post-high school vocational/technical institutions. Applicants must maintain a GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants must also be dependent children of an active-duty service member who was killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty, or who is currently classified as a POW or MIA.

Application Information: Application form required.

Deadline(s): July 31

Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, Inc.

The foundation provides financial assistance in the form of scholarships for higher education to deserving sons and daughters of Marines and children of former Marines, with particular attention being given to children whose parent was killed or wounded in action.

Heroes Tribute Scholarships: Scholarships of up to $20,000 are given to the children of Marines and the children of Navy Corpsmen serving with the Marines whose parent is killed in the ongoing Global War on Terror.

Scholarships: One-year scholarships ranging from $1,000-$10,000 are awarded annually and are limited to undergraduate studies at accredited educational and/or technical institutions.

Application Information: Application form required.

Deadline(s): March 3 for high school seniors; April 15 for all other applicants

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

The foundation provides college scholarship grants, along with financial aid and educational counseling, to the children of Special Operations personnel who were killed in an operational mission or training accident. The foundation also provides financial assistance to wounded Special Operations forces and their families.

Scholarships: The foundation provides family assistance to the children and spouses of fallen warriors from the time they enter the foundation family. The foundation begins establishing a relationship with families within 30 days of notification of a fatality; the foundation remains in contact with children and families throughout the years prior to the children reaching college age, continually encouraging students to attend college. When the student is in high school, foundation counselors work with students to develop personalized college education plans. Funding will be provided to up to four years for a college degree.

Wounded Warrior Support: Given in conjunction with the U.S. Special Operations Command, up to $2,000 will be given to offset the immediate needs families face when severely-wounded special operations personnel are hospitalized.

Application Information: Funding is only given to wounded Special Operations personnel and their families; unsolicited requests for funds otherwise not encouraged or acknowledged.

Initial approach: Letter

Pat Tillman Foundation

The foundation seeks to inspire and support young people striving to promote positive change in themselves and the world around them.

Collegiate Fund for Social Action: This fund provides grants to individual students or student groups from universities that demonstrate a commitment to advancing positive social change in their communities and the world, based on a proposal of their activities and plan to make a difference.

Leadership Through Action – Tillman Military Scholars: This initiative supports future generations of leaders who embody the American tradition of citizen service by providing grants to veteran and active service members and their dependents (children and spouses) for direct study-related expenses, such as tuition, fees, books, room and board, and other needs (such as child care). Eligible applicants include veteran and active servicemen (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reserve) of both pre- and post-9/11 service, and their dependents, who wish to start, further, or finish their education (especially those whose benefits have run out or exceeded need). Applicants may pursue undergraduate, graduate, two-year, four-year, public, private, vocational, and trade degrees or certifications. Applicants will be evaluated on unmet financial need, educational and career ambitions, length of service, record of personal achievement, essay question responses, and demonstration of service to others in the community and a desire to continue such service.

National Veterans Scholarship Fund: In line with its ongoing commitment to inspire leadership, the foundation is dedicated to supporting educational opportunities for veterans and their families by providing scholarships to U.S. military service members and their dependents, so that they have every opportunity to pursue broader educational goals.

Application Information: Application form required.

Deadline(s): May 14 for Leadership Through Action – Tillman Military Scholars

USAWOA Scholarship Foundation

The foundation provides scholarships to qualified family members of warrant officers serving in or retired from the U.S. Army, the U.S. Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard of the various states and territories.

Application Information: See Web site for additional information. Application form required.

Deadline(s): January 1 and May 1

Wings Over America Scholarship Foundation

The foundation provides college scholarships to dependent children and spouses of all U.S. navy active duty, retired, or deceased, and who served within Naval Air Forces as an officer or as an enlisted person.

Scholarships: Scholarships are available to graduates of accredited high schools, or the equivalent home school or institution, who plan on attending an accredited academic institution, and who are able to claim military dependent status. Eligible applicants must be: spouses of U.S. Navy active duty members or former U.S. navy members (retired, separated, or resigned) who are serving or have served honorably, and who are pursuing an A.A., A.S., B.A., or B.S. degree at an accredited college as a full-time or part-time student taking a minimum of nine credit-hours per semester; a child or step-child of a U.S. Navy active duty member, or former U.S. navy member (retired, separated, or resigned) who are serving or who has served honorably, and who is planning to attend college on a full-time basis to pursue a B.S. or B.A. degree (applicants must be currently enrolled at an accredited college as a full-time student taking a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester); or a child (natural-born, adopted, or step) of a member of the U.S. Navy who has died while on active duty serving with a Naval Air Force unit.

Application Information: Submit pre-qualification form.

Deadline(s): March 2