The Internet simplifies the search for funds. Databases of individually sponsored scholarships as well as listings of government-funded programs can help untap the money necessary to fund a college education for a veteran's children.
Your first step in identifying scholarship and grant sources is to visit fastweb.com. This site takes an inventory of a student's interests, background and qualifications and serves as a matching service between hundreds of resources and the applicant. Applicants are given the opportunity to identify themselves as dependents of war veterans, linking them with benefactors and sources not easily found anywhere else.
Scholarships designated for children or dependents of war veterans require a current military I.D. card. Identification can be completed through the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Visit tricare.mil, the site for TRICARE Management Activity.
Local and state governments often serve as clearinghouses for many scholarships dedicated to children of veterans. In Florida, for example, Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans and Servicemembers provides college funds for dependents of veterans who were Florida residents for at least one year. Learn more about requirements at floridastudentfinancialaid.org.
At thanksusa.org, dependents 24 years of age and younger and spouses of active duty military personnel may apply for college scholarships. Each year, the organization evaluates the first 10,000 applications and awards 500 scholarships in the amount of $3,000 each.
Students planning to attend college full-time should also explore militaryscholar.org, the Web site of the Scholarships for Military Children Program. This program was designed to honor the military family community and the role of the commissary.
For children of military personnel who died on active duty, the American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund provides an opportunity for undergraduate study.
Don't neglect the office of financial aid at colleges and universities where you will apply. Many schools offer tuition waivers or discounts to children of veterans, and they can also match you with opportunities particular to that school.