Military Scholarships and Aid for Veterans

With millions of veterans in the United States, and a whole new crop of veterans returning from service in two foreign wars, plenty of organizations offer opportunities to further your education by providing scholarship money. Check out the following opportunities. Horatio Alger Military Scholarship This is reported to be the first scholarship designed specifically for veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Horatio Alger Association will distribute $10 million in scholarships to honorably discharged veterans who fought in these two conflicts. To be eligible, you must have served in 2001 or later, be a U.S. citizen, demonstrate financial need, and show your intent to pursue a bachelor's degree.

The $5,000 scholarships are paid directly to your school in $1,250 payments over four years. American Legion The American Legion offers several scholarships for veterans and their dependents. The American Legacy Scholarship is designed for children of active-duty U.S. military and Guard, and Reserve personnel who were federalized and died on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001. To apply, you must be a high school senior or high school graduate, and the scholarship is meant for undergraduate study. There are other scholarships available from the American Legion as well. Check out www.legion.org for more information on these. AMVETS National Scholarship Program for Veterans AMVETS offers a scholarship of $4,000 over four years for veterans who show academic promise, financial need and merit.

The scholarship must be used for full-time study in an undergraduate or graduate degree program or for certification or a degree from an accredited technical school or vocational school. Three scholarships are awarded nationwide. Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association International General Emmett Paige Scholarships The AFCEA offers scholarships of $2,000 to people on active duty in the military services, as well as to veterans and their spouses or dependents working toward a degree in an accredited four-year college or university.

Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation
This program provides assistance to children of Marines and former Marines. Since 1962, the organization has awarded more than 20,000 scholarships of more than $31 million. One-year scholarships range from $500 to $10,000 and are awarded annually. The Heroes Tribute Scholarships of up to $20,000 over four years are available for the children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen serving with the Marines killed in the ongoing war on terror.

Navy League of the Unites States Scholarship Program
This program is available for dependents or direct descendants of current or former members of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard or U.S.-flag Merchant Marines. There are 22 endowed, four-year $10,000 scholarships available for eligible applicants.

Scholarships for Military Children
This program is for dependent children of active-duty personnel, reserve/guard and military members or survivors or deceased members. The program is only for those planning to work on undergraduate studies on a full-time basis at an accredited college or university. You have to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Veterans of Foreign Wars Scholarships The VFW Veterans Tribute Scholarship is available to children aged 16 to 18 of U.S. military veterans, active duty, Reserves and National Guard. The scholarships range from $3,000 to $10,000 and are awarded based on personal academic achievement, family VFW involvement and parents' military service.

Other Sources
There are many other sources for scholarships designed specifically for veterans. Look into these organizations:

• Air Force Aid Society (the official charity of the U.S. Air Force)
• Army Emergency Relief
• Coast Guard Mutual Assistance
• Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
• Society of Daughters of the U.S. Army

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