Our Guide to Military Scholarships for Veterans, Dependents, and Spouses

While military servicemembers often get access to GI Bill benefits, that isn’t the only form of financial aid and assistance available. Not only are there military scholarships for active duty service members and veterans, but there are also a ton available to spouses, children, and even grandchildren.

Ultimately, that means that active duty military members, veterans, and their family members can dramatically reduce the cost of college. Here’s an overview of how military scholarships work and our list of available scholarships and grants.

If you want to learn how to find opportunities, including and beyond free ride scholarships, join our free webinar! You’ll learn more about the search process, applications, and more, increasing the odds that your student can graduate debt-free. Head to https://thescholarshipsystem.com/webinar to see when the next training session is available.

How Do Military Scholarships Work

Functionally, scholarships for military members, veterans, and their families work like any other scholarship. However, some of the particulars may vary.

First, every scholarship has unique eligibility requirements. An association with the armed forces is a must for scholarships for military members, veterans, and their families. However, there can be other requirements, such as demonstrated financial need, enrollment in a qualifying academic program, and more. As a result, reviewing the rules before applying is critical, allowing you to ensure you’re eligible.

Eligible applicants submit a scholarship application in accordance with the requirements. This usually means providing specific personal information, information about past academic performance, scholarship essays, and other documentation. In some cases, scholarship interviews are also part of the equation.

Then, if they’re selected for the award, they’ll get financial support under the scholarship program. However, scholarship award funds can vary. Some provide the money for one academic year or period, such as a semester. Others are renewable, allowing students to receive additional funds every semester or year if they meet the renewal requirements.

Additionally, how the funds are delivered can vary. Some scholarships send the money directly to the educational institution, allowing the award to cover expenses like tuition, fees, and lab fees. Others send the award directly to the recipient, with the recipient needing to provide the money to the school.

How scholarship winners can use the funds can also differ from one award to the next. Some only work for specific expenses, like tuition and fees, while others can go toward room, board, and living expenses.

Since precisely how a scholarship works varies, applicants must read the rules carefully. That way, they know what to expect before they apply, allowing them to focus on awards that best meet their needs.

Scholarships for Veterans and Their Families

Veterans and their family members may be eligible for a wide variety of college scholarships. These can supplement other funding, like GI Bill educational assistance, Pell Grants, or other scholarships, making college more affordable and supporting access to higher education for veterans and their families.

Some awards are only available to military veterans, while others are open only to their family members.

Veteran Scholarships

Military veteran scholarships are a great option for any former military members or veterans, including those who did and did not reach official retirement age. Often, the primary qualification is either being honorably discharged or anything other than a dishonorable discharge. However, some may require a certain amount of service time.

Here is a list of scholarships for veterans:

• AFCEA War Veterans Scholarships
• AMVETS Scholarship
• AWFDN Legacy Scholarship Program
• FRA Education Foundation Scholarships
• VFW Scholarship
• AFCEA Scholarships

It’s also important to note that each organization can set additional requirements. For example, some military scholarships for veterans may only be open to people who served in a particular branch (like the Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, or Space Force) or unit or during specific periods. Additionally, some may focus on financial need while others may not factor that into the equation. As a result, reading the eligibility requirements before applying is a must.

Grants for Veterans

Grants for veterans function a lot like scholarships. The money does not have to be repaid, so grants are an excellent option for students who want to make a college education more affordable.

However, grants aren’t as widely available as scholarships. Still, it’s worth checking out the options that are out there.

Here is one grant veterans can explore:

• Imagine America Foundation

Scholarships for Veterans Dependents

Dependents of veterans can also find scholarships. These may be open to the dependent children of veterans, veterans’ military spouses, or other military family members, such as the grandchildren of service members.

Additionally, some scholarships are specifically designed for children, spouses, or dependents of deceased personnel, providing financial support to families of those who have died in service.

Scholarships for Children of Veterans

• AMVETS Scholarship (also open to grandchildren of veterans)
• AWFDN Legacy Scholarship Program
• CPOSF Scholarship Program
• FRA Education Foundation Scholarships (also open to grandchildren and great-grandchildren)
• Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation
• Tailhook Educational Foundation Scholarships (also open to grandchildren)

Scholarship for Veterans Spouses

• • CPOSF Scholarship Program
  • FRA Education Foundation Scholarships

Active Duty Military Scholarships

Certain military scholarships are open only to active-duty service members of the armed forces. Many of these scholarships are available to members of the United States military across all branches, making these options ideal for military personnel who want to further their education while serving their country.

Here is a list of active-duty military scholarships:

• AFCEA War Veterans Scholarships
• AMVETS Scholarship
• Army Green to Gold Active Duty Scholarship Option
• AWFDN Legacy Scholarship Program
• Enlisted Airmen ASCP & SOAR Program
• FRA Education Foundation Scholarships
• Pat Tillman Foundation Scholarship Program
• VFW Scholarship

ROTC programs also offer significant scholarship opportunities for students interested in serving in the military while pursuing a college education.

It’s important to note that there are additional requirements beyond being on active duty. For example, some military scholarships are affiliated with specific branches, units, or college majors. Others limit applicants to enlisted service members, while others may be open to officers, too. Since the rules can vary, it’s critical to determine your eligibility before you spend time applying.

Grants for Active Duty Service Members

Active duty military personnel can also benefit from college grants. These aren’t as plentiful as scholarships, but that does not mean they aren’t worth exploring.

Here is one great place to start:

• • Imagine America Foundation

Military Dependent Scholarships

Collectively, the spouses and children of military personnel are known as dependents. While they have their dependency status in common, they don’t always have access to the same scholarship program opportunities. Some scholarships are specifically available to dependent children and spouses of National Guard members. Since that’s the case, our list breaks down these scholarships based on the recipient’s relationship to the military member.

Scholarships for Military Children (Active Duty and Retired)

Students who are the child or grandchild of an active duty or retired servicemember may benefit from various scholarships for military children. While each has its own requirements, many of them are open to practically any dependent child seeking an undergraduate degree, and some may even support dependent children seeking a graduate degree.

Here is a list of scholarships for military children:

• AFAS Merit Scholarship
• American Legion Legacy Scholarship
• AWFDN Legacy Scholarship Program
• CPOSF Scholarship Program
• Dolphin Scholarship Fund
• Fisher House Foundation Scholarships
• FRA Education Foundation Scholarships (also open to grandchildren and great-grandchildren)
• Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund (for military children of an active duty service member who was killed or permanently disabled while on an operational mission or during training)
• Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation
• MOAA Scholarship Fund
• Samsung American Legion Scholarship (also offers scholarships for grandchildren of veterans)
• Tailhook Educational Foundation Scholarships (also open to grandchildren)

Military Spouse Scholarships

Military spouse scholarships target the men and women who love and support a service member. They are designed to make college more affordable and may be less competitive than awards open to non-military-associated students since fewer people are eligible.

Here is a list of military spouse scholarships:

• AFAS Merit Scholarship
• CPOSF Scholarship Program
• FRA Education Foundation Scholarships
• Hope for the Warriors Military Spouse Scholarships (open to the spouses of fallen service members or military service members who were injured while performing their duties)
• National Military Family Association Spouse Scholarships
• Military Order of the Purple Heart (also open to children)

Fellowships and Grants for Military Dependents

In some cases, military dependents can also qualify for grants. Here are some grants for military families with spouses and children that are worth exploring:

• • General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant
  • FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship
  • Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant (must complete a FAFSA and be the child of a fallen service member)
  • NMCRS Education Grants

Other Scholarship Options

Veterans, active-duty military, and their families aren’t limited to the scholarships above. In fact, there are tons of financial aid programs available, including a broad variety of scholarships.

For example, there are scholarships for STEM students, scholarships for women, scholarships for minorities, and many awards open to almost anyone heading to or already in college.

In many cases, students can get scholarships from several sources simultaneously. By exploring every option, it’s far easier to get the funding they need and could put them on the path toward graduating debt-free.

If you want to discover how to find more scholarships or other awards and opportunities to help your student graduate debt-free, join our free webinar! You’ll learn a bunch about the scholarship process, including how to find scholarships, organize documentation, fill out applications, write winning essays, and more. Take a trip to https://thescholarshipsystem.com/webinar to find out when the next training session is available.