There are scholarships designed specifically for veterans to assist them in obtaining college degrees as they transition from military to civilian life. These scholarships help veterans cover educational expenses without financial hardship.
Veteran scholarships come in two main types: fenced scholarships, which cover only tuition and are paid directly to the school, and non-fenced scholarships, which can be used for any educational costs.
This article will discuss some of the key scholarships available to help veterans achieve their educational goals. To begin, let’s first consider the GI and the role that legislation plays in providing education benefits to veterans.
Introducing the GI Bill
The GI Bill–also referred to as the Post-9/11 GI Bill–is one of the most successful financial assistance programs for both active and retired military personnel. Since 1944, it has supported eligible veterans in paying for college, graduate school, and training programs. This bill targets veterans who have served on active duty after September 10, 2001.
Over the years, the GI Bill has stayed true to its main objective of helping military service members and their families to achieve their professional and educational dreams.
Benefits of the GI Bill
- Tuition and Fees: The GI Bill covers the full cost of public, in-state tuition, and fees for eligible veterans who qualify for maximum benefits. The rates for private and foreign schools are updated each year.
- Books and Supplies: Eligible veterans can receive up to the maximum stipend per school year.
- Transport Allowance: Veterans living within a county with 6 or fewer people per square mile are eligible for this allowance if they either move at least 500 miles to attend school or are compelled to fly to school
- Housing Allowance: This Bill gives a monthly housing allowance on the cost of living of the school.
The Yellow Ribbon Program
The Yellow Ribbon program is also one of the financial aid programs sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs. It covers scholarship benefits that are not included in the Post-9/11 GI Bill. These benefits include higher out-of-state, private school, foreign school, or graduate school tuition and fees. Only eligible institutions can get access to this program, so candidates have to check if their school is a yellow ribbon school.
Scholarships Available for Veterans in 2023
There are several reputable scholarships that exist for veterans. This category will dive into some of the available scholarships for veterans in 2023.
Scholarships for Disabled Veterans
Disabled veterans scholarships and grants are meant for military members who sustain injury while serving our country. These scholarships help them to attain higher education or acquire new skills. Some of them include:
The 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.
Award: up to $5,000
Deadline: 1st April 2024
The Posse Veterans Program is for post-9/11 U.S. veterans who demonstrate leadership potential in their places of work, communities, or families. Candidates must demonstrate strong academic potential and a desire to participate in a four-year program leading to a bachelor’s degree from a top-ranked college or university.
Award: Full scholarship
Deadline: Varies
This financial aid is available to children, spouses, and financial dependents of members of the United States Armed Forces or state-organized militia who, while residing in New York State, passed away or became severely and permanently disabled during their military duties, whether they were in combat or not.
Award: Students living on campus receive up to $13,045 per semester and students commuting to college get up to $8,295 per semester
Deadline: 8th August 2024
This scholarship targets disabled veteran, reservist, or National Guard personnel who is disabled due to injury received during active-duty combat serving in Iraqi Freedom Operations or Enduring Freedom Afghanistan
Award: $2500
Deadline: May 31, 2024
The Disabled Veterans Scholarship Fund is sponsored by Open University. It aims to support all veterans who sustained a permanent injury or got disabled as a result of military service. Aside from receiving financial aid, all successful applicants have the opportunity to request specialist equipment and disability support to help with their studies.
Award: Fee Waiver
Deadline: Varies
Paralyzed Veterans of America offers scholarship awards to PVA members and their immediate family members
.
Award: $1000 – $2500
Deadline: March 2023
Navy Veteran Scholarships
The Dolphin Scholarship Foundation gifts scholarship awards on a competitive basis, to members or former members of the Submarine Force who have qualified in submarines and have served in the Submarine Force for at least eight years. It also targets Navy members who have served in submarine support activities (e.g., submarine bases, tenders, and rescue vessels) for a minimum of ten years
Award: Up to $16,000
Deadline: October 1 – March 15
The Navy League offers financial support to all the sea services – U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S.-flag Merchant Marine.
Award: Varies
Deadline: March
The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society’s (NMCRS) offers a number of scholarships to assist eligible Sailors, Marines, and families to pursue their academic goals by providing a source of education financing.
Award: Varies
Deadline: May
The Wings Over America Scholarship Foundation awards scholarships each year.to veterans of the U.S. Navy and their children and spouses, as well as active-duty officers or enlisted personnel.
Award: $5000
Deadline: March
The Navy SEAL Foundation awards scholarships to the men, women, children, and spouses of Naval Special Warfare. These scholarship opportunities include one to four-year grants for educational, vocational, and leadership programs.
Award: Varies
Deadline: Varies
The UDT-SEAL Association gifts scholarship awards to dependents of UDT-SEAL Association members who have served, or are currently serving, in the Armed Forces and the Navy Special Warfare community.
Award: $1000
Deadline: Varies
The FRA Foundation sponsors generous scholarship for veteran students affiliated with the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard. Recipients of these awards receive them based on their financial need, academic standing, character and leadership qualities.
Award: $5000
Deadline: Varies
Female Veteran Scholarships
The Dr. Nancy M. Schonher Scholarship is sponsored by the Marines’ Memorial Association and Foundation awards scholarships to women who are either active duty service members or reservists in the U.S. Armed Forces, separated honorably from U.S. Armed Forces since 2016, or is a current or former corpsman or medic in any branch of the US Armed Forces.
Award: $5000
Deadline: January to March 2024
The Army Women’s Foundation Legacy Scholarship Program provides grants to women soldiers, past and present, and their lineal descendants to help them attain their educational goals. It gives scholarship awards in four areas: Certificate Programs, Community College coursework, Undergraduate Degrees, and Graduate Degrees.
Award: Up to $3000
Deadline: Varies
WVA is a nonpartisan organization that focuses on empowering women veterans to discover & fulfill their greatest potential. It offers a number of scholarships to its members to assist them in achieving their educational goals.
Award: Varies
Deadline: Varies
The WMA administers a number of scholarships to help qualified applicants with the opportunity to attend an accredited institution. This support helps them to pursue career aspirations without any financial barriers
Award: $500 to $5000
Deadline: February 1 to March 31
This award is sponsored by Jewelers Mutual. It targets any woman veteran of the U.S. armed forces who wants to pursue a Jewelry career. It is a grant that can be used for schooling or used as a start-up grant for business.
Award: $5000
Deadline: Varies
Graduate Scholarships for Veterans
The AMVETS National Scholarship Program gifts awards to veterans at accredited U.S. colleges and universities who have exhausted government aid or veterans benefits in pursuit of a master’s or PhD.
Award: $1000
Deadline: April 15th
The Army Healthcare Health Professions Scholarship is otherwise called The F. Edward Hébert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). It offers full tuition for a graduate-level healthcare degree at any accredited medical, dental, veterinary, psychology, or optometry program in the United States or Puerto Rico.
Award: Full tuition plus $20,000 when eligible
Deadline: April 15th
This scholarship program awards non-residential fellowships to PhD candidates enrolled at U.S. universities. Eligible candidates must be writing doctoral dissertations on topics related to conflict management, peacebuilding, and security studies.
Award: $20,000
Deadline: November 16, 2023
Veterans Tuition Awards (VTA) gives awards for full-time study and part-time study for eligible veterans who matriculated in an approved program at an undergraduate or graduate degree-granting institution or in an approved vocational training program in New York State (NYS).
Award: $6,950
Deadline: June 30th
The Veterans United Foundation Scholarship offers financial support for veteran students pursuing an associate’s, bachelor’s, graduate, post-graduate, or doctoral degree in an accredited college.
Award: $6,950
Deadline: February 28th 2023
Scholarships for Military Veterans
The Ankin Law Office Scholarship for military veterans is a scholarship program that is open to military veterans or those planning to enroll in law school.
Award: $2500
Deadline: March 1, 2023
North Eastern University offers a variety of scholarships specifically meant for military servicemembers and veterans.
Award: Varies
Deadline: Varies
Keller Law Office gives scholarship awards to military veterans or their immediate family members to support them financially in order to reach their career aspirations.
Award: $1000
Deadline: Varies
The Pat Tillman Foundation offers scholarship awards and other benefits to remarkable military service members, veterans, and spouses This scholarship program is for outstanding individuals making a strong impact in various fields like healthcare, business, public service, STEM, education, and the humanities.
The VFW’s Scholarship program gives scholarships annually to VFW members to support them in attaining their academic goals and aspirations without incurring any financial debt or burden.
Award: $5,000
Deadline: November 15th
The search engine giant, Google established the Google SVA Scholarship in association with Student Veterans of America. The scholarship provides financial support to student veterans who are pursuing university degrees in the field of computer science in the United States.
Award: $10,000
Deadline: Varies
The Imagine America Military Award Program (MAP) gives scholarship awards to military veterans to assist them receive career education as they make a transition to civilian life.
Award: $1,000
Deadline: Varies
Takeaways
Transitioning into civilian life is not a walk in the park, scholarships for veterans play an important role in showing honor to the great sacrifice and service of our nation’s heroes. It helps them get the knowledge and skills they require to live a meaningful life as they adapt to society. If you are a veteran looking for opportunities like this to scale through your education without any financial hassles, this publication has been specially prepared for you to provide all you need to know at your fingertips. To your success!
