15 Great Scholarships for Veterans

This page is a thank you to all of our veterans out there and thus represents some of the best scholarships for veterans and their families that are available right now. There are numerous, grateful providers and sponsors here, and the opportunities afforded by them are all quite valuable as well. Follow along for a quick list of 15 of the best veteran scholarship opportunities you can look into applying to now.

Related resource: 50 Great Colleges for Veterans

1. Military Order of the Purple Heart Scholarship

Eligibility

  • Be a Purple Heart recipient and member of the MOPH or the spouse or surviving spouse of a Purple Heart recipient and member of the MOPH or the direct lineal descendant (child, step-child, adopted child or grandchild) of a Purple Heart recipient and member of the Military Order of the Purple of the USA or the spouse, surviving spouse, or direct lineal descendant (child, step-child, adopted child or grandchild) of a service member killed in action or who died of wounds.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart Scholarship is a great offer provided by the Purple Heart Foundation. This offer provides winning veteran student recipients with cost coverage across all of their education-related expenses. Around 90 scholarships are awarded each year.

2. Mary Rowena Cooper Scholarship

Eligibility

  • Must have achieved a current cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0.
  • Must be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours per semester during the academic year.
  • Must be a US citizen.
  • Must be a child of a living or deceased veteran who served in Vietnam.

The Mary Rowena Cooper Scholarship comes courtesy of The Winston-Salem Foundation and is specifically designed to provide financial aid for children of veterans who served in the Vietnam War. Established in 1991, this opportunity has helped many, deserving recipients over the years. Award amounts vary each year and are prioritized based on financial need.

3. Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship

Eligibility

  • Be a citizen of the United States.
  • Be retired, honorably discharged, active duty, or a member of the National Guard or Reserve.
  • Have completed basic training and follow-on training (Advanced Individual Training, technical school, etc.).
  • Separated with or currently hold a military rank of E-5 or below.
  • Demonstrate a need for financial assistance.
  • Participate in, be accepted to, or currently enrolled in a VA-approved program or school at an accredited, post-secondary institution.

The Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship is a combined effort between the Sports Clips and the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization. With it, students can receive up to $5,000 in assistance with each semester counting as a separate period in which funding can be won. All service members and veterans of E-5 status and below may be eligible.

Scholarship Website

4. Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship, Jean B. Cryor Memorial Scholarship

Eligibility

  • You must be a Maryland resident at the time of the application.
  • You must enroll at a two-year or four-year Maryland college or university, as a full-time or part-time, degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate student or attend a private career school.
  • You must be a veteran, a disabled veteran, a POW, or the surviving family member of one of these groups.

The Maryland Higher Education Commission facilitates the Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship and the Jean B. Cryor Memorial Scholarship. Aimed at helping veterans and their families attend school, these offers provide varying levels of reward with the most being fully-paid schooling. This is a need-based opportunity that renews automatically.

Scholarship Website

5. Daughters of the Cincinnati Scholarship

Eligibility

  • Be a daughter of a career commissioned officer in the United States Armed Services.
  • Demonstrate both merit and financial need.

The Daughters of the Cincinnati is a non-profit group dedicated to patriotism and the history of the US, in particular of the Revolutionary Period. In that effort, this organization puts forth its annual Daughters of the Cincinnati Scholarship to help the educational goals of the daughters of any career commissioned officers. Show merit and financial need, and you’ve got a great chance to win up to $20,000 in tuition coverage.

Scholarship Website

6. Chief Petty Officer Scholarship

Eligibility

  • Must be about to graduate or have graduated from an accredited high school or equivalent educational institution or have successfully earned a General Equivalency Diploma (GED).
  • Must intend to enter or be currently enrolled in a community college, vocational college, college, or university to complete the curriculum prescribed in or to be graduated with an AA, AS, BA, or BS degree.
  • Must be the immediate family member of either active duty, retired, reserve, or deceased Chief Petty Officer of the United States Navy (children may be biological, adopted or step-children).

The Chief Petty Officer Scholarship offers winning recipients up to $2,000 in tuition coverage with dozens of applicants being chosen each year. Be a qualifying family member of a chief petty officer in the US Navy, and you’ve got a shot to win. August 1 marks the annual application deadline.

Scholarship Website

7. Women’s Overseas Service League Scholarship

Eligibility

  • Only female applicants accepted.
  • Must be committed to advancement in the military or other public service careers.
  • Must have demonstrated military commitment through life experiences.
  • Must have successfully completed a minimum of 12 semester (or 18 quarter) hours of study in any institution of higher education with a minimum 2.5-grade point average.
  • Must be admitted for study in an institution of higher learning in a program leading to an academic degree (Associate Degree or higher). The program may be professional or technical in nature.
  • Must agree to enroll for a minimum of six semester (or nine quarter) hours of study each academic period.
  • Must agree to maintain academic standards.

The Women’s Overseas Service League offers an annual funding opportunity of its namesake, and winning recipients receive up to $1,000 in annually-renewable tuition coverage with it. You must be a female applicant and qualify otherwise for a chance at funding. March 1 is the application deadline for applications submitted for funding in the following academic year.

Scholarship Website

You may also like: 30 Great Community Service Scholarships

8. Orphans Of Veterans Scholarship

Eligibility

  • Be the child of a fallen veteran.
  • Be a resident of New Hampshire.

The Orphans Of Veterans Scholarship is facilitated by the New Hampshire Department of Education specifically to help the children of fallen veterans. If you are a resident of the state and are a child of a fallen vet, you can qualify for completely free tuition as well as an additional $2,500 stipend for any, extra costs that may come along while learning. This excellent scholarship opportunity actually became a required provision under state law in 1981.

Scholarship Website

9. Wings Over America Scholarship

Eligibility

  • Be a dependent child or spouse of any type of US Navy personnel member.
  • Demonstrate scholastic merit, community service, extra-curricular activity, and good, overall character.

The AIRLANT Wives Club started a tradition of gathering funds to create scholarships back in 1987, and this operation has grown considerably, now offering funding by way of the organization’s Wings Over America Scholarship. The Wings Over America Scholarship varies in amount and renewability each year, so potential applicants are recommended to check with the organization for these details. This one is specifically for the dependent children and spouses of all US Navy personnel.

Scholarship Website

10. Army Women’s Foundation Scholarships

Eligibility

  • Must be a woman who has served or is serving honorably in the US Army, US Army Reserve, Army National Guard or the child/lineal descendant of a woman who served honorably in the US Army, US Army Reserve, or Army National Guard.
  • Have a GPA of 3.0 or better.

The Army Women’s Foundation offers two scholarship opportunities to female Army members, current or past. The Army Women’s Foundation Legacy Scholarship is one opportunity, and the other is the Army Women’s Foundation Trident University Scholarship. More specific details on each scholarship can be found at the organization’s website found at the link below.

Scholarship Website

11. Junior Horizon Award

Eligibility

  • Be a female.
  • Be a citizen of the United States.
  • Be a resident of Michigan.
  • Be a high school senior (grade 12) currently enrolled full time.
  • Demonstrate achievements in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM).
  • Demonstrate an interest in pursuing a career related to national security or defense.
  • Be active in school and/or the local community.
  • Be planning to attend a Michigan university or college.
  • Have a minimum grade point average of 3.25.

The Junior Horizon Award is a gift of the Michigan chapter of the Women in Defense organization. First set up in 2009, this scholarship was made to specifically encourage women in high school to pursue STEM-based careers that are also potentially related to the national security and defense interests of the US. If you’re a resident of Michigan with good grades and on the path to a STEM career as such, this may just be the perfect scholarship for you to apply to.

Scholarship Website

12. MG James Ursano Scholarship Program for Dependent Children

Eligibility

  • Demonstrate financial need.
  • Be the dependent of a military veteran.

The MG James Ursano Scholarship Program for Dependent Children looks out for veterans’ dependents to the tune of up to $3,400 in college tuition coverage annually. This is a need-based scholarship program aimed at helping this group of the population to achieve an undergraduate degree despite financial strains. Submit your application by April 1 for consideration for this great opportunity.

Scholarship Website

13. General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant

Eligibility

  • Demonstrate financial need.
  • Be an Air Force member’s dependent.

The General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant is a need-based grant offering up to $4,000 in tuition coverage to eligible Air Force dependents each year. This one is also commonly referred to as the “Hap Arnold Grant”. Submit an application by April 30 for consideration.

Scholarship Website

14. Army Nurse Corps Association Scholarship

Eligibility

  • Be a veteran or active service member.
  • Be a US citizen who is currently enrolled in an accredited baccalaureate or advanced degree nursing or nurse anesthesia program.

The Army Nurse Corps Association offers a great funding opportunity via its annual, namesake Army Nurse Corps Association Scholarship. This one is specifically arranged so as to support continued interest and efforts in modern nursing education. Veterans and active service members alike can apply by March 31 for a chance at the $3,000 award.

Scholarship Website

15. Public Service Grant Program

Eligibility

  • Be a permanent legal resident of Massachusetts for one year prior to the start of the academic year for which the scholarship is granted.
  • Be a US Citizen or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations.
  • Have applied for financial aid, using the standard Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  • Be in compliance with Selective Service Registration.
  • Not be in default of any federal or state Student Loans for attendance at any institution or owe a refund for any previous financial aid received.
  • Be enrolled full time (at least 12 credits or its equivalent) in a certificate, associate’s, or bachelor’s degree program at an eligible institution.
  • Not have received a prior bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.

The Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance offers a great, annual funding award of a full year of paid tuition to winning applicants of its Public Service grant. Applicants must be attending an educational institution based in Massachusetts in order to be considered. This state-sponsored opportunity proves that many of the best scholarships for veterans and others come directly from government sponsoring as well as through any other sources.

Scholarship Website

See more scholarships here.

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