Military.com Launches New Scholarship Finder

Scholarship Finder 2.0 provides unprecedented access to millions of dollars in military-related scholarships. 

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Military.com (www.military.com), the largest online destination for the military community, today announced the launch of a new and improved online Scholarship Finder, which helps servicemembers, veterans and their families search millions of dollars in military-related scholarships. 

The Military.com Scholarship Finder is the definitive guide to military scholarships on the web, including the most comprehensive information presented in a searchable and user-friendly format. Many organizations and educational institutions offer scholarships based on military affinity, but they can be hard to find. Military.com has aggregated this information in one searchable, online database, with detailed descriptions, eligibility criteria, application deadlines and contact information. 

“We are committed to empowering servicemembers, veterans and their families to realize their education goals,” said Christopher Michel, Founder and CEO of Military.com. “Too often, education benefits and scholarships earned in service to America go unused.” 

Military.com is 3 million members strong, and growing. Over 20 percent of those in uniform have joined Military.com, and many more utilize the site’s online resources each month. Military.com membership is free and helps individuals make the most of military experience, access benefits easily, advance in their military or civilian careers, and stay connected for life to friends or mentors from the service. 

Scholarship Finder, a free service of Military.com, allows members to look for scholarships, loans, grants, internships, living allowances, awards and prizes, organized by state of residence or where the individual hopes to study. 

Scholarship Finder lists over one thousand scholarships from a variety of sources. For example, the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) offers annual, renewable scholarships to provide financial assistance for undergraduate or graduate education to members of the FRA, their spouses, children, and even grandchildren. The Air Force Tuition Assistance Program provides financial assistance for college to active-duty Air Force personnel. The Air Force will pay 100 percent of the tuition costs in an approved program, to a maximum of $4,500 per year or $250 per semester hour, whichever is less, for up to four years. Any organization can submit a scholarship the Scholarship Finder. 

"I firmly believe that education benefits are the primary reason why people join the military, and the availability of scholarships is often the defining factor in whether an individual can attend the college of his or her choice," said Vince Patton, former Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard. “Scholarship Finder can be an important enabler in the pursuit of academic goals.” 

Over 25 million Americans have been educated using the GI Bill since its inception in 1944. Unfortunately, 50 percent of military-related education benefits go wasted, largely because of a lack of awareness regarding availability, eligibility, benefit levels and usage. 

Scholarship Finder is a companion to the Military.com School Finder, which helps members search for military-friendly schools that accept GI Bill benefits, award credit for service, offer veteran discounts or extend other benefits to those who have answered the call to serve. School Finder provides information based on searchable criteria, such as online or in-residence study, degree programs and locale. 

Scholarship Finder and School Finder are only some of the useful resources available in the Military.com Education Center (www.military.com/education). There is also a downloadable “2004 Guide to Military and Veteran Education,” as well as extensive articles on subjects including, college credit for military service, distance learning, GI Bill benefits by state, VA job training programs and much more.