How Do I Get Scholarships for Children of Veterans?
If you are the child or grandchild of a veteran, many college scholarships are set aside for you. Scholarships for children of veterans often honor the fallen and their service.
Many awards come from the branch of the military in which the veteran served. As such, you may find unique scholarship opportunities from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard.
Scholarships for children of veterans come with criteria for eligibility. One aspect relates to your parent. Another, to you and your education.
Some scholarships for children of veterans support students pursuing a specific undergraduate major. While others (e.g. AMVETs) may be available to a more general pool of applicants who meet their criteria.
With respect to your parent, you may need to be the son or daughter of one of these groups.
Regular active duty
Active duty Reserve National Guard active duty
U.S. Army members in good standing
Former U.S. Army members who received an honorable or medical discharge
Your parent was killed while serving in the U.S. Army
Apart from your family status, other criteria streamline the pool of applicants. So, you may need to be a high school senior, high school graduate, or registered as an undergrad.
You may also need to show you enrolled at an accredited college, post high school trade or technical school. Here are a few other common criteria you might need to meet.
Have a specific GPA (E.g. 2.0)
Be a U.S. citizen and / or show proof of residency
Meet an age rule (E.g. you are before your 24th birthday)
Not have earned a bachelor’s degree from a college or university
How Do I Apply to a College Scholarship?
You can expect to complete an application form and support it with other documents. You may have to submit an essay, photo, and certificate of good service (or a parents’ DD214).
Merit based awards may ask for other material too. Things like a resume of your community service and school transcripts.
Need based awards usually rely on info from your FAFSA. So, they may ask for a completed SAR (Student Aid Report). Though some forms want to see tax forms instead.
Are There Government Scholarships and Aid for Children of Veterans?
As the child of a service member, your parent may transfer post 9/11 benefits to you. You must request this while serving as an active member of the Armed Forces.
You are not usually allowed to receive both awards. That’s unless your parent died before August 1, 2011. Then you might have to use one benefit at a time. Also, the combined benefits reach a cap at a total of 81 months of full time training.
The Fry Scholarship is also called the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship. It provides Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to the children service members. You may be eligible if the service member died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001.
DEA is the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance program. It offers education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of Veterans. To be eligible, the veteran must be disabled due to a service related condition. Also you may be the child of veterans who died while on active duty or as a result of a service related condition.
Why Should Children of Veterans Apply for Scholarships?
Scholarships for children of veterans may help pay for your college and continuing education. There are various scholarship awards if you qualify.
As the child of an American soldier or of a fallen hero, you may face many challenges. Some of these issues relate to deployment like moving often and separation from loved ones.
About 46 % of veterans have children. Many (12%) are also members of Disabled American Veterans (DAV). About 67% have a parent(s) with some college who did not earn a degree.
Many college scholarships are competitive. Ones that are open to both military and non military applicants, they may be harder to get. Try to find local scholarships which you may be able to easily win.
Military scholarships are one of the support systems in place to help. They may also bridge the gap between shrinking state funding and the price of college.
Also, a public college’s average tuition, fees and housing cost about $17,237. However, it’s more expensive at private colleges.
Scholarships for sons, daughters and grandchildren of veterans are only for you. Since they are not loans, you also don’t need to worry about repaying the money.
There are many sources of scholarships to look into. Colleges, nonprofits and the military community may offer scholarships for children of veterans. Make sure to look into these valuable resources. They may help make your dream of a college degree come true.
List of Scholarships for Children of Veterans
There are 12,838 awards worth $54M below. Apply now to our list of scholarships for children of veterans.
This scholarship is open to women who have served or are serving honorably in the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve, and/or the Army National Guard and are pursuing community college, certificate, college, university, or graduate programs. Students must have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher if pursuing a community college or certificate program and a 3.0 or higher if pursuing a college, university, or graduate program.
This award is available for Florida undergraduate students who are attending an eligible college or university in Florida. Students must be the dependent child or spouse or un-remarried widow(er) of a Florida veteran or service member who died as a result of service-connected injuries, diseases, or disabilities sustained while on active duty OR has been verified by the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs as having service-connected 100 percent total and permanent disabilities OR is classified as a POW or MIA.
This award is available for U.S. undergraduate students who are 23 years of age or younger. Students must be a dependent child of an active duty personnel, reserve/guard, or a retired military member. Dependent children of employees of DoD, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Public Health Services or other federal or military related agencies or activities are not eligible unless they also meet the above requirement. Students must also have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher and not be married.
This scholarship is available for high school juniors who are the child, grandchild, or legally recognized dependent of a U.S. military member who has served honorably during a time of war or conflict.
The Sarah A. Bonnifield Vietnam Veterans Scholarship Fund is provided annually to a student from Sacramento, CA who is a Vietnam War Veteran or the dependent or other relative of a Vietnam War Veteran.
This scholarship is open to surviving spouses and children of fallen active-duty or veteran members of the United States Armed Forces. The student must be currently enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university in the upcoming semester to pursue a trade or professional certificate, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, graduate, post-graduate or doctoral degree; the student must also demonstrate financial need.
The Society of Daughters of the United States Army (DUSA Scholarship) is available to High school senior and college applicants who are planning to attend or are currently attending an accredited post-secondary institution in a degree program for the subsequent academic year. Click to learn more and apply today!
The dependents of Army soldiers who are under 23 years of age and enrolling full time in an undergraduate program are eligible for this award. Students must be unmarried, be registered in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS), and have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher.
The Army Scholarship Foundation awards one-year financial scholarships (not grants or loans) on an annual basis to qualified and deserving students. The amount of award ranges from $500 to $2000 for undergraduate studies at accredited educational/technical institutions. Click to learn more and apply today!
This award is available for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students who are a Purple Heart recipient OR are the spouse, child, grandchild, or great-grandchild (natural or adopted) of a Purple Heart recipient. Students must also have a grade point average of 2.75 or higher.
