Operated by the Defense Commissary Agency, this program is funded by manufacturers whose products are sold in military commissaries around the world. Begun in 2001, the program awarded over $7 million in scholarships by 2010. Applicants must be under the age of 23 and dependents of active duty, reserve/guard, or retired military members, or survivors of parents who died on active duty or while receiving retired pay. Pick up an application at your local commissary, or print one out at militaryscholar.org. Hand-carry or mail it to your commissary. You may apply at only one commissary.
The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Scholarship Fund offers scholarships, grants and interest-free loans to military dependents. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the MOAA established the American Patriot Scholarship for children of military members who have died while in active service. Applicants must be under the age of 24. In the 2009/2010 school year, over 50 students received $5,000 grants. Only online applications are accepted at moaa.org.
Homefront America, Inc. established this scholarship in 2006 in appreciation of those families “protecting the American virtues that all Americans enjoy.” To be eligible, applicants must be between the ages of 17 and 21 and children of full-time active duty, disabled, fallen or retired service members. As of 2010, the organization has awarded $95,000 in scholarships to military children. Download the application online and mail it to Homefront America, Inc.
Homefront America, Inc.
27375 Paseo La Serna
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(949) 248-9468
homefrontamerica.org
Each branch of the service also offers scholarships for children of their military members. For example, the Air Force Aid Society offers grants/scholarships for spouses and dependent children of active duty, retired or deceased Air Force members. In the Army the Major General James Ursano Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to dependents of Army soldiers. The Navy Counselors Association, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, and the Sobel Scholarship and Coast Guard Foundation Scholarship all provide scholarships to children of Navy, Marine and Coast Guard members, respectively.
Many states also provide scholarships to military children, though residency requirements vary from state to state. Individual colleges and universities may also offer scholarships to dependents of military members. For example, Widener University in Pennsylvania began Widener CARES (Children of Active and Reserve Military Personnel Educational Scholarship). For a more comprehensive list of scholarships offered to children of military members, see the links in the References and Resources.