The Month of the Military Child turns 40 this year, and it is time to “Purple Up” with educational opportunities geared toward military-connected youth. Children of active-duty, Guard, Reserve, or retired veteran families have distinct experiences and can tailor that to branch-specific, career-focused, or specialized scholarships. With the rise in educational costs, there are opportunities out there that many may not know exist.
To maximize opportunities for military youth scholarships, families should look at local and smaller scholarships too, because they tend to have less competition than national ones. Key common areas to check are family readiness centers on bases, base spouse or military officer wives’ clubs, state National Guard foundations, and veteran service organizations like the American Legion posts and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
As a sidebar, government education benefits for dependents, including children, are the Fry Scholarship and Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA). The VA Post-9/11 GI Bill allows service members to transfer educational benefits.
Maximizing Educational Opportunities
There are common scholarships to start looking at, particularly as scholarships geared toward military youth are not always widely publicized. What families may not realize is that things like local nonprofit scholarship lists, JROTC programs, private donor scholarships, emergency education grants, and scholarships specific to installations won’t pop up in national scholarship databases.
Having other connections, like club or base thrift shop funds, can offer smaller, accessible awards. As a general rule of thumb, military youth are likely to gain some quicker wins through their local community due to less competition and fewer applications.
National scholarships tend to provide higher amount awards with a larger funding base, and these advantages include potential multi-year awards or full-tuition assistance. Additionally, renewable and portable scholarship opportunities like this mesh nicely with the military lifestyle, where transition and financial shifts are commonplace.
National scholarships may also add valuable extended support such as mentoring programs, internships, leadership programs, and networking communities, not to mention name-brand recognition for future admissions and resumes.
Regardless of the tradeoffs, every military family should understand the context of why both types of scholarship opportunities, big or small, are a strong strategy for getting the most for military children.
Scholarship Starter List
- VFW Voice of Democracy
- VFW Patriot’s Pen
- Samsung American Legion Scholarship
- American Legion Legacy Scholarship
- [Insert Your State] National Guard Foundation scholarship
- Fisher House Foundation
- National Military Family Association’s Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse & Child Scholarship
- Military Officers Association of America Foundation Scholarships
- Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation
- ThanksUSA Scholarships
- Folds of Honor Foundation
- Air Force Aid Society’s General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant and Merit Scholarship Program
- Army Emergency Relief’s MG James Ursano Scholarship
- Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society’s Education Assistance
- Coast Guard Foundation Scholarships
- Operation Homefront
- Dolphin Scholarship Foundation
- Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation
- Pat Tillman Foundation
- Society of Military Engineers STEM Scholarships
- AFCEA Educational Foundation Scholarships
- National Defense Transportation Association Scholarships
- Special Operations Warrior Foundation
- Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
- Boys and Girls Clubs of America Military Youth of the Year Program
What is in the Next 40 Years for Our Military Children?
Looking back since the inauguration of the Month of the Military Child, advocacy has grown stronger to not only provide recognition but also support. Military Child Education Coalition research has increasingly shown that military children can change schools up to six to nine times, which causes academic disruptions and adjustment issues. The future is looking better, though. Multiple adaptive programs and policies are underway to prepare for the next generation.
Some notable developments include the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, expansion of virtual and hybrid learning models that remove the distance factor, increased industry-sponsored partnerships and scholarships, and portability of academic records and transcripts.
More resources are becoming available for mental health access and peer networks, which are an important part of building resilience and emotional connection among military youth.
The conversation is changing from building visibility and honoring resilience to cultivating growth, leadership, and better educational opportunities that include wrap-around support for empowerment and potential.
