Military Dependents

Folds of Honor

Application Window: February 1 - March 31

Scholarship Amount: Upto $2,500 per term. Max of $5,000 a year

Description: The Higher Education Scholarship program was established to provide post-secondary scholarship assistance for spouses and dependents of our nation’s service members. By standing in the financial gap of the more than one million dependents adversely affected by war, Folds of Honor is honoring their sacrifice by educating their legacy.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Scholarships are for one (1) of the following categories: high school students who are concurrently enrolled in college courses or undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in community college, college or a university; certificate/licensure/technical program (accredited programs are vetted and approved by a third-party foundation).
• Scholarships can only be awarded to those seeking a first bachelor’s degree (master’s and graduate programs are not eligible).
• Scholarships cannot be offered to those seeking a second bachelor’s or a certificate program after obtaining a first bachelor’s degree.
• Scholarships awards are up to $5000 per academic year (starts Aug. 1, 2019). Funds are awarded per payment term (fall, spring, or summer), not to exceed $2500 per term. If, after completing the check in for each payment term, it is determined that the awardee has an unmet need of less than $2500, FoH will only disburse the actual unmet need as shown on the statement of account and will retain the remaining balance.

Gilman-McCain Scholarship

Deadline: Check website

Scholarship Amount: $5,000

Description: The U.S. Department of State’s Gilman-McCain Scholarship provides awards of $5,000 for child dependents of active duty service members to study or intern abroad on credit-bearing programs.  Developed under the framework of the State Department’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, the John McCain International Scholarship for the Children of Military Families (Gilman-McCain Scholarship) is open to eligible students enrolled at accredited U.S. colleges and universities who receive any type of Title IV federal financial aid.

The Gilman-McCain Scholarship is a congressionally funded initiative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and named after the late senator John S. McCain from Arizona.  With the support of the U.S. Congress, this scholarship honors the Senator’s legacy of public service by enabling children of active duty military to develop the leadership and career readiness skills and global perspective to pursue careers of service and contribute to preserving the principles and alliances that are critical to an international order based on the rule of law, human rights, and democracy.

Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must be: 

• A citizen of the United States;
• 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);
• Dependent child of an active duty military member(s) during the time of application in one of the following branches: Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard;
• Recipient of any type of Title IV federal financial aid; and
• Applying for credit-bearing study abroad programs in a country or area with an overall Travel Advisory Level 1 or 2, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Travel Advisory System. However, certain locations within these countries or areas may be designated within the Travel Advisory as either “Do not travel to” (Level 4) or “Reconsider travel to” (Level 3) locations, as such; students will not be allowed to travel to these specific locations. Moreover, students are not eligible to apply for programs in a country or area with an overall Level 3 or 4 Travel Advisory.

Hope for the Warriors

Application Window: August 1 -October 1

Description: The Spouse/Caregiver Scholarship Program identifies, recognizes, and rewards post-9/11 spouses/caregivers for their strength, fidelity, and resolve despite adversity. Scholarships aid in continued education at a reputable, accredited university, college, or trade school for spouses/caregivers as they assume critical roles in the financial well being of their families.

• Honorary Scholarship – Awarded to those seeking graduate or post-graduate degree.
• New Beginnings Scholarship – Awarded to those pursuing entry-level classes or training.
• Restoring Family Scholarship – Awarded to Spouses of the Fallen
• Restoring Hope Scholarship – Awarded to an MSW Student
• Restoring Self Scholarship – Awarded to those seeking any undergraduate degree.

Caregiver and Military Spouse Scholarships are made payable to the scholarship recipient’s institution for payment of tuition, books and supplies. The scholarship is for U.S. Colleges and universities only.

Eligibility Requirements: Applicants must complete and submit the application/certification forms along with:

• Proof of service
• Proof of injury/death
• Original essay
• Two-page questionnaire
• One letter of recommendation

Patriot Legacy Fund

Description: Patriot Legacy Fun is dedicated to helping the children of service-disabled veterans achieve their educational goals. We honor the service of our Nation's heroes by providing scholarships to their children and helping ease the burden of rising educational costs. Awards are based on financial need, past academic success and commitment to service within their community.

Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must:

• Be 23 or under as of April 30th of the current application year, unmarried, and a dependent of a US veteran with a VA service-connected disability rating of 10% or higher
• Not be a member of the National Guard, Reserves, or other military branch
• Be enrolled, accepted, or pending acceptance into an undergraduate program of an accredited post-secondary or vocational institution in the US
• Not be a student that has previously completed an undergraduate degree or attending a Service Academy
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (mid-year documentation is required before second disbursement)
• Not already be fully funded by other sources 

Fisher House 

Deadline: February 14

Description: Commissaries are an integral part of the quality of life offered to service members and their families. The Scholarships for Military Children Program was created in recognition of the contributions of military families to the readiness of the fighting force and to celebrate the role of the commissary in the military family community. It is the intent of the program that a scholarship funded through contributions be awarded annually for each commissary operated by the Defense Commissary Agency worldwide.

The Scholarships for Military Children Program is primarily funded through the generosity of manufacturers and suppliers whose products are sold at military commissaries, worldwide. We encourage military families to take advantage of their commissary benefits that not only provide a savings of more than 30 percent on the products purchased, but also support the military community through programs such as this scholarship. The purchase of products from these companies funds the Scholarships for Military Children program. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

Only dependent unmarried children under age 23 of active U.S. military duty personnel, reserve/guard and retired military members, or survivors of U.S. service members who died while on active duty (also see Heroes' Legacy Scholarship) or survivors of individuals who died while receiving retired pay from the military, may apply for a scholarship. Dependent children of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Public Health Service, other federal or military related agencies or activities, or DoD civilian employees are not eligible unless they meet the above requirement. Applicants should ensure that they, as well as their sponsor, are currently enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) database (or call 1-800-538-9552) and that they have a current dependent military ID card. The DEERS database will be the primary method of verifying eligibility. 

Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund

Deadline: See website

Description: The mission of the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund is two-fold. First, it helps offset the high cost of a college education for the sons and daughters of American heroes. Second, it is a reminder to the recipient that their parents’ sacrifice will never be forgotten by a grateful nation.

Eligibility Requirements: Scholarship available to the dependent son or daughter of a U.S. Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Guardsman or Marine who has:

• Been killed in action.
• Become 100% total & permanently disabled as a direct result of an operational or combat mission, or suffered a major limb amputation due to enemy action.
• *Qualifying parent must have received an Honorable Discharge.
• Been classified as a Prisoner of War (POW) or Missing in Action (MIA).
• Been awarded the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Air Force Cross, or the Coast Guard Cross.
• Been involved in a training accident that resulted in the death of the service member or caused an immediate inability to continue serving (100% total and permanently disabled).

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants

Deadline: Application is part of FAFSA form

Description: If your parent or guardian died as a result of military service in Iraq or Afghanistan, you may be eligible for an Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.

Like other federal grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants provide money to college or career school students to help pay their education expenses. However, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants have special eligibility criteria.

Eligibility Requirements: You may be eligible to receive the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant if

• you are not eligible for a Federal Pell Grant on the basis of your Expected Family Contribution but
• meet the remaining Federal Pell Grant eligibility requirements, and
• your parent or guardian was a member of the U.S. armed forces and died as a result of military service performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after the events of 9/11, and
• you were under 24 years old or enrolled in college at least part-time at the time of your parent’s or guardian’s death.

Ladies Auxiliary of the Fleet Reserve Association (LA FRA)

Deadline: April 15

Description: You may apply for LA FRA Member Scholarships if the applicant or sponsor is a member in good standing of the LA FRA or FRA, currently or at time of death. The applicant must be a LA FRA or FRA member; spouse; dependent biological, step, or adoptive child; or biological, step, or adoptive grandchild; or biological, step or adoptive great grandchild of the LA FRA or FRA member.

Eligibility Requirements:

LA FRA Scholarship: be awarded annually to the male or female candidate chosen from children or grandchildren of members of the FRA and LA FRA.

The Sam Rose Memorial Scholarship Fund: To be awarded to the male or female candidate chosen from the sons, daughters, grandsons, or granddaughters of deceased LA FRA and FRA members.

Allie Mae Oden Memorial Scholarship: is awarded to a candidate chosen from the children or grandchildren of members of the FRA or LA FRA.

NP Scholarship: Awarded annually to the candidate chosen from children and grandchildren of members of the LA FRA or FRA, or deceased members of the LA FRA or FRA. by the National President and the committee, in the name of the Auxiliary, and designated as the LA FRA National President’s Scholarship.

Military Child of the Year

Description: The annual awards will recognize seven outstanding young people ages 13 to 18. Six of them will represent a branch of the armed forces — the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard — for their scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, extracurricular involvement, and other criteria while facing the challenges of military family life. The seventh award is the Military Child of the Year® Award for Innovation presented by Booz Allen Hamilton. This award goes to a military child who has designed a bold and creative solution to address a local, regional or global challenge.

Eligibility requirements: 

• Child must be a legal military dependent. Status confirmed by DEERS enrollment form.
• Child must be between the ages of 13 and 18, at the time of nomination/application
• Child and one adult guardian must be available to travel to the Washington, DC area for the Gala award presentation.
• Officers, directors, employees, and agents of Operation Homefront and its subsidiaries or affiliated organizations, and their immediate family members (parent, child, sibling and spouse of each) and those living in the same households of each are not eligible to receive programs, services, grants or donated goods intended for use by Operation Homefront’s clients.
• Previous Military Child of the Year Award® Recipients are no longer eligible.

In addition to the above eligibility requirements, nominees and applicants must:

• Provide Letters of recommendation if selected as a semifinalist
• Consent to a background check if selected as a recipient
• Participate in media and donor opportunities

The American Legion 

Application Window: January 1 - March 27

Description: The American Legion’s Legacy Scholarship provides college funding to children of post-9/11 veterans who died on active duty, or those who have a combined VA disability rating of 50 percent or greater.

To qualify and apply for The American Legion Legacy Scholarship, you must be able to answer YES to the following 3 questions.

1. Are you currently a high school senior and/or accepted at or attending an institution of higher education?
2. Is your institution of higher education a nonprofit and regionally-accredited institution? (If you are unsure, contact your institution's admission office. Regional accreditation applies to the whole school not a program.)
3. Does at least one of the following statements apply to you?
   1. A legal parent of mine died while serving on active duty, U.S. military service on or after September 11, 2001. (Does not have to be a death out-of-country or in combat.)
   2. A legal parent of mine is a Post-9/11 veteran of the U.S. military, who has been given a disability rating of 50% or higher by the Veterans Administration.

Fisher House 

Deadline: February 14

Description: The Heroes’ Legacy Scholarship program honors not only those who have fallen in battle, but all who have died or have become disabled through their active military service since September 11, 2001.

Who Can Apply?

Dependent unmarried children under age 23 of active-duty personnel, Reserve/Guard, retired service members and *disabled service members OR survivors of service members who died while on active duty may apply if they meet one of the following additional criteria:

• One of the parents died while serving on active duty on or after September 11, 2001 in any branch or component of the US Armed Forces
• *One of the parents, while serving on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, became disabled - meaning that the parent qualified for receipt of Traumatic Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (TSGLI)
• *One of the parents, who was on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, received a permanent and total compensation rating of 100% from the Department of Defense or Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Only students who possess a valid (not expired) U.S. Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card or a DOD dependent ID:
• Applicants must enroll or plan to enroll in a full-time undergraduate program leading to a bachelor’s degree or a community/junior college designed to allow for a direct transfer into a four-year program.
• High school applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 basis)
• College applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.