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15 Best Scholarships for Veterans

Written by College Cliffs Team At CollegeCliffs.com, our team, comprising seasoned educators and counselors, is committed to supporting students on their journey through graduate studies. Our advisors, holding advanced degrees in diverse fields, provide tailored guidance, current program details, and pragmatic tips on navigating application procedures.

Reviewed by Linda Weems I got started researching colleges and universities about 10 years ago while exploring a second career. While my second career ended up being exactly what I’m doing now, and I didn’t end up going to college, I try to put myself in your shoes every step of the way as I build out College Cliffs as a user-friendly resource for prospective students.

Updated: April 20, 2024, Reading time: 19 minutes

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Military veterans and their families are generally apprehensive about the ballooning rate of tuition and other expenses related to college.

Because there are no clear signs that the growing cost of college is coming to an end, most veteran students and their families are finding other means to fund their dreams of having a college degree. 

Although college student loans are viable options, these loans are relatively expensive. That is why some veterans just forego their dreams of obtaining a college education for fear of incurring large amounts of student debt.

Not holding a college degree can be detrimental.

In today’s world, especially among entry-level jobs, it’s important to have some level of higher education. Pursuing college, therefore, can potentially result in struggle and poverty. Thankfully, veterans and their families have a great opportunity to earn a degree through college scholarships.

Over the years, US colleges and institutions have experienced a steady increase in student veteran enrollees. This resulted in schools developing different study programs and services aimed at enhancing the success of a veteran in higher education. Scholarships are provided to veteran students to recognize them for their sacrifices in the armed forces.

The study grants and scholarships from the US military are all award-for-service programs. This means that you need to be enlisted in any of the branches of service in the US Army

What is a Veteran?

A veteran is one who once was a member of the Armed Forces of the United States (Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Air Force, Army, or Navy) who served on active duty until discharged under several conditions other than dishonorable.

To be called a veteran, there is no specific number of days a student must be on active duty. However, according to the National Guard or Reserves’ enlistment, being on active duty for training does not qualify one as a veteran.

Importance of Earning a Degree as a Military Veteran

Transitioning from military life to civilian life is no walk in the park. But you have a handful of advantages to earning a college once you complete your military service.

Here are the benefits of earning a degree after completing an active tour of duty in the armed forces.

The GI Bill

Also commonly referred to as the Post 9/11 GI Bill, this bill is officially called the Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 and was created to help you pay for job training or school. Although this is not officially considered a scholarship grant, this bill is one of the most successful financial assistance programs for military personnel.

It was originally introduced in 1944 to help not only active-duty and retired military personnel to afford a college degree but also engineers, business owners, scientists, doctors, teachers, authors, and actors.

The objective of the Post-9/11 GI Bill is to provide higher education opportunities to the millions of military service members who have served since September 11, 2001. This bill covers fees and tuition for qualified veterans for in-state public undergraduate higher education.

For graduate education, out-of-state tuition, or private institutions, these schools may come up with an agreement with the VA wherein the VA will match the contribution of an institution to cover added costs.

Although we have seen several changes over the years, the GI Bill remains to help military service members and their families in achieving their professional and educational ambitions.

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The Post-9/11 GI Bill’s objective is to provide higher education opportunities to the millions of military service members who served since September 11, 2001. This bill covers fees and tuition for qualified veterans for in-state public undergraduate higher education.

For graduate education, out-of-state tuition, or private institutions, these schools may come up with an agreement with the VA wherein the VA will match the contribution of an institution to cover added costs.

Although we have seen several changes over the years, the GI Bill remains to help military service members and their families in achieving their professional and educational ambitions.

RELATED: War Games? 10 Best Military Colleges In The U.S.

College Cliffs is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

The Top 15 College Scholarships for Veterans and their Family

Scholarships are provided to veterans and their families. To give recognition to people entering the armed services, organizations, colleges, and individuals offer scholarship money to veterans and their families to thank them for their services. Below are fifteen of the largest scholarships available to veterans and their families.

AFAS General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant Program

This grant was created by the Air Force Aid Society and was established in 1942. The Air Force Aid Society is the U.S. Air Force’s official charity. From its inception, the AFAS has extensively worked to meet every need of every Airman and their families. Charitable contributions have aided AFAS in generating money to give to U.S. Airmen needing educational support, financial assistance, or community programs.

The General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant is AFAS’s pillar in their education support program. Every year, scholarships are awarded to students based on their education costs and family income; children and spouses of active duty and retired and deceased service members are eligible to apply. The grant is designed to guarantee that the recipient gets the right amount of aid while giving scholarships to as many qualified students as possible.

Veterans  of Foreign Wars Sports Clips Help A Hero Scholarship

The Veterans of Foreign Wars, a patriotic organization with a congressional charter, offers its Help A Hero Scholarship program for active service members and veterans pursuing a college degree and looking for ways to reduce their student loan debt. Veterans must either be honorably discharged or retired, with demonstrated financial need and be currently enrolled at an accredited college or in a VA-approved program, among other criteria. 

Note that applicants must have applied for FAFSA in the academic year in which they are applying for the scholarship. 

AFCEA War Veterans Scholarship

AFCEA International, a nonprofit membership association, offers a merit-based scholarship program for both active-duty military servicemen and honorably discharged military veterans who served in Overseas Contingency Operations (20023-present). These include Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. 

Applicants must be currently enrolled in STEM major degree programs at the undergraduate level, either part-time or full-time and on-campus or online/distance learning formats, in accredited four-year universities in the United States. Only college sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply. Accepted C4I-related STEM fields include aerospace engineering, statistics, and cybersecurity.

Massachusetts Public Service Grant Program

This grant program is made available by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, Office of the Student Financial Assistance. One of their programs is called the Public Service Grant Program and is offered to students who lost their family members in the line of duty and public service.

To qualify for this grant, a student must:

A well-known scholarship for veterans and their families, this program is granted to students on an entitlement basis, and scholars are chosen based on their academic performance.

Paralyzed Veterans of America Educational Scholarship Program

Members of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, as well as their dependent unmarried children and spouses, are eligible for the scholarship. If you’re a prior recipient, you can apply again, but you can only be awarded twice. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens and currently enrolled in an accredited college or university. 

Applicants are assessed based on their extracurricular activities, education goals, and academic performance. 

Navy League of the United States Foundation Scholarships

The Navy League strives to put a college education within reach of past and present members of the sea services and their qualified children and grandchildren. Interested individuals can choose from several scholarships, including: 

Check out the CSU Military Spouse Scholarship, which shoulders up to 60 credit hours of a recipient’s coursework. 

Military Order of the Purple Heart Scholarship Program

Purple Heart recipients are eligible to apply for the MOPH scholarship program with their applications evaluated based on academic achievement, community and military experience, and extracurricular activities, among others. Membership in the MOPH is a must, too, and their dependent children and spouses/widows/widowers can apply for the scholarship. 

Applicants must meet all three of these requirements: 

The award amount can be used for direct costs.

Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship Program & Jean B. Cryor Memorial Scholarship Program

Veterans with at least 25% service-connected disability and don’t qualify anymore for federal veterans’ educational benefits may qualify for the scholarship. Applicants must be seeking an undergraduate, graduate or professional degree and enrolled either full-time or part-time, and must be Maryland residents at the time of application (exceptions apply). 

Administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission’s Office of Student Financial Assistance, it’s among the most generous scholarship programs for veterans. Recipients can receive up to five years of scholarship of full-time enrollment up to eight years for part-time studies, or a combination of both. 

Army Women’s Foundation Trident University Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 1969 as the Women’s Army Corps. Fourteen years later, the Army Women’s Foundation was founded and raised more than $400,000 in charitable contributions. Over the years, it has substantially grown into a foundation that is dedicated to army women and veterans to acknowledge their services and promote the public interest.

The Trident University scholarship can cover either undergraduate or graduate studies for past and present female soldiers; up to six recipients are selected every year. Recipients are picked based on merit and need, as well as on their community service and academic potential.

Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund

Applicants to The Freedom Alliance Scholarship fund must be the children of:

Other eligibility requirements apply. The scholarship can be renewed for up to three years after the initial award or up to four scholarships. 

New applications for the 2024-2025 academic year are currently being accepted. 

Dolphin Scholarship Foundation USS Montana Scholarship

Established in 1960, the Dolphin Scholarship Foundation offers several scholarship programs for students enrolled in two-year and four-year degree programs and trade/vocational programs. Applicants are evaluated based on merit including their academic proficiency and excellence and commitment to curricular and extracurricular activities. 

Among its endowed scholarship programs is the USS Montana scholarship, a one-time, non-renewable scholarship; prior recipients, however, can reapply but aren’t guaranteed an award. Applicants must be either present or past USS Montana crewmembers for at least six months or their children, stepchildren, or spouses. 

Allied.com Military Scholarship Competition

Offered by Allied Van Lines, the Allied.com Military Scholarship is open for U.S. residents or permanent residents who have enrolled or are planning on enrolling as full-time students in a logistics, operational management, or supply chain management degree program. Veterans must be dishonorably discharged to be considered, and their spouses or dependent children can also apply. 

Applicants will be evaluated based on their essays and other academic and non-academic criteria.

Daughters of the Cincinnati Scholarship

This scholarship was founded in 1894 and was started by the descendants of soldiers from the Revolutionary War. It aims to ensure that the values of the Revolutionary War are preserved and to continue to push for the study of this critical time in U.S. History.

Today, this scholarship is open for daughters of members of the armed services. This grant has been helping daughters of veterans achieve college education for more than a century.

The Daughters of Cincinnati awards massive support and scholarships to daughters of career commissioned officers in the U.S. who meet specific criteria focusing on academic performance and financial capacity. If selected, student scholars receive scholarship money given over the whole four-year duration of their college degree program.

The Marine Corps Scholarship

This scholarship started in 1962 and is one of today’s largest and oldest need-based scholarship grants to children of military personnel. For over five long decades, the foundation has funded the children of Navy Corpsmen and Marines.

The Marine Corps Scholarship is provided to extraordinary students coming from families of a Navy Corpsman or a Marine, or a Chaplain or Religious Programs specialist in a Marine unit. The scholar has to show impeccable academic performance (i.e., 2.0 cumulative unweighted GPA) and must be proven to be an excellent leader in the community. Adjusted gross annual income must be $117,000 for the 2022 tax year. 

Anchor Scholarship Foundation

Anchor Scholarship Foundation, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to raising money to help pay for the tuition of Navy personnel and their families. These scholarships are typically awarded based on an applicant’s character, academic performance, financial needs, and extracurricular activities. 

Eligible applicants are dependent children or spouses of U.S. Navy sailors who are active, retired or honorably discharged. There are two major scholarship types offered: 

Many of these scholarships are renewable annually for up to four years. 

Possible Degrees That Match the Skills and Jobs of the Military

Veterans come from all walks of life, geared with a handful of skills and different educational backgrounds. Some veterans acquire skills and training while in service and can opt to major and work in practically any field.

However, some careers are more natural and fitting for veterans, considering their intensive back and experience before they become veterans.

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Tips for Winning Scholarship Applications

It’s relatively easy to search for scholarships that best fit your interests. The challenge is how to win one. Snag the best veteran scholarship application with these tips.

  1. Start with the smaller scholarships. Most students look for study grants offering bigger grants. However, bigger grants mean they are almost always in demand and competitive. On the other hand, smaller grants are easier to win because only a few students compete for them. 
  1. Personalize your essay. In most cases, scholarship judges can easily tell if your essay is submitted to meet the grant’s criteria. It’s wise to have your essay personalized. Start it off by showcasing your personality, making sure that you will stand out. Here are some more tips when writing personalized essays:
    • Do not attempt to guess what the reader wants to hear.
    • Feel free to be amusing or creative – but don’t go too far.
    • Tell us something we don’t already know.
    • Ask for input (but not too much).
    • Edit, proof, polish, and breathe.
  1. Submit your applications early. Don’t wait until it’s the due date. Follow instructions properly. If the scholarship organizations say they prefer applications sent in through mail, don’t email it. Or, if the essay has a specified word count limit, avoid going over it.
  2. Most grant providers get so many qualified applications that exceed their actual available funds. To avoid reducing the risks of you getting disqualified, follow the requirements and instructions properly. 

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