54 Military Scholarships, Grants and Tips for Veterans and Their Families

November 12, 2019

As a nation, it’s important for us to give back to our veterans as much as possible. One way our society and government does this is through offering former service members financial support in the form of veterans scholarships and grants. These local, state and federal allowances help our veterans support themselves in their pursuit of higher education so they can transition into prosperous careers after they’ve fulfilled their time in the service.

Of course, finding these opportunities isn’t always easy — scholarships and grants often require a bit of searching before you can find them. If you’re a veteran — or know someone who is — then you’re in luck. We’ve provided a thorough list of veterans scholarships and grants below.

Read the full guide to see all the opportunities available to you, or explore the links below to skip to a specific section. Thank you for service — and best of luck on your hunt for scholarships and grants to further your education!

Scholarships and Grants for Veterans and Military Families

There are plenty of veterans scholarships out there. Most of them are also open to active duty service members and their dependents, be it children or a spouse. With that mind, the scholarships we’ve listed below are open to veterans and their families unless specified. However, there are some scholarships available exclusively to children of veterans or active duty service members, which we’ve also mentioned below.

Grants for Veterans

Imagine America Foundation: This $1,000 grant is offered to active duty, honorably discharged and retired veterans who are enrolling into a participating college. Click the link for more details and apply in no time!
VFW Financial Grants: This grant of up to $1,500 is offered to both active duty and discharged service members who meet the VFW’s Unmet Needs criteria.

National Scholarships for Veterans

AFCA War Veterans Scholarship: This $2,500 scholarship is for active duty service members and honorably discharged U.S. military veterans, including Reservists and National Guard personnel, who were deployed in one of the Overseas Contingency Operations. Click the link to learn more and see if you qualify!
AMVETS National Scholarships: AMVETS offers several scholarships providing between $1,000–$4,000 depending on the recipient. For more info, click the link or call 301–683–4031.
Ankin Law Office Scholarship: Open to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and their children and spouses, this scholarship provides $1,000. Write a 1,000-word essay on the assigned topic to apply!
Army Staff Sgt. Special Agent Richard S. Eaton Jr., Scholarship: This scholarship provides $1,000 to students pursuing scholastic study in fields related to alliance building, counterintelligence, cultural understanding and national security studies. For more information, contact the Scholarship Committee at 737 Flowing Meadow Drive, Henderson, NV 89014.
Army Women’s Foundation Legacy Scholarship Program: The AWF offers financial support ranging from $1,000–$2,500 for certificate programs, community college courses and undergraduate and graduate degrees. Click the link to learn more.
FRA Education Foundation: The FRA offers scholarships of up to $5,000 to students pursuing college and graduate degrees. To be eligible, you must have served in the Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard and be a full-time student enrolled at an accredited university.
Raytheon Patriot Scholarship: Student veterans enrolled in a university can apply for a chance to receive this $10,000 scholarship.
VFW “Sport Clips Help a Hero Scholarship”: The VFW’s scholarship awards up to $5,000 to retired, honorably discharged and active duty service members as well as members of the National Guard or Reserve. Click the link to see other requirements and to apply!
Tillman Scholar Program: The Tillman scholarship is merit-based and averages up to $10,000 per academic year. Active duty service members, veterans and their current spouses are eligible.

Scholarships for Children of Veterans

CPOSF: The Chief Petty Officer Scholarship Fund is technically available to non-uniformed spouses, but also dependent children of veterans. The scholarship provides $2,000 to recipients and can be applied for here starting January 1st, 2020.
Dolphin Scholarship: Children and stepchildren of former or current U.S. Navy Submarine Force members may apply for this scholarship, which offers annual grants of $2,000 or $3,400 per student for two to four years of full-time undergraduate studies. To inquire about the application process, email [email protected].
General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant: This scholarship offers between $500 and $4,000 for Air Force dependents.
MCSF: The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation offers scholarships to “children of the fallen,” offering $30,000 over four years.
MG James Ursano Scholarship Program: Last year, military dependent recipients of this scholarship received between $500–$3,400. The 2020 application window opens on January 1st.
Military Commanders’ Scholarship Fund: Undergraduate students of veterans can apply for this scholarship, which awarded 2019 recipients $5,000. Application forms can be accessed for the 2020 period on November 1.
Navy League Scholarship: High school seniors that will attend college the following year are eligible to apply for this scholarship offering $10,000.
NMCRS Gold Star Scholarship Program: Children and spouses of Navy or Marine Corps service members who fell in combat during specified events (click the link for details) are eligible for scholarships of $500 to $2,500 per academic year.
No Angel Left Behind: Children of fallen service members between the ages of 16 to 25 can receive anywhere from $1,000–$5,000.
Scholarships for Military Children Program: Highschoolers can apply for a total of 500 scholarships, each for $2,000.
Tailhook Educational Foundation: Tailhook offers 100 scholarships a year ranging from $2,500–$15,000. The application period starts on December 15 and must be submitted by March 1 each year.
USMC Tankers Association: This $3,000 scholarship is available to children and spouses of military members who served in a Marine Corps Tank Battalion.

Coding and Tech Scholarships

The Forever G.I. Bill STEM Extension was created to help veterans afford courses that prepare them for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. If you are enrolled in a STEM course or hold a STEM degree and want to teach, you can take advantage of this extension to help you further your studies. We’ve listed several STEM-specific programs below that you can take advantage of if you qualify!

Bloc Veterans Scholarship: This scholarship for development and design offers up to $500 and is offered on a weekly basis.
Claim Academy: Claim Academy offers a $500 veterans scholarship.
Code Fellows: Code Fellows offers the Diversity Scholarship that covers up to 70% tuition to veterans, women and minorities who are underrepresented in tech.
Code Platoon: Code Platoon offers scholarships between $10,000 and $13,000 to all veterans and their spouses.
Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship: Veterans and Fry Scholars seeking a STEM degree can receive a maximum of $30,000 in additional Post-9/11 G.I. benefits for up to nine months.
FullStack Academy: Veterans can receive a $1,000 scholarship to start the tech career here.
Google-SVA Scholarship: Eligible student veterans seeking a degree in computer science can receive this scholarship for $10,000.
Grand Circus: Grand Circus offers a $1,500 scholarship to veterans and minority students.
Metis: Metis has a $3,000 scholarship they offer to active duty service members and veterans.

Miscellaneous Scholarships

The G.I. Bill was first instituted in 1944 as a way to offer financial assistance to WW2 veterans for their service. Now, there are several types of G.I. Bills available that veterans can take advantage of, including the Montgomery G.I. Bill, the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, the Yellow Ribbon Program and the Forever G.I. Bill.

Each of these programs offers some form of financial assistance to veterans or active duty service members and can, in most cases, be used in addition to scholarships and grants to supplement tuition costs.

There are plenty of schools and institutions offering discounts in the form of tuition waivers. In addition to these opportunities, Veterans Affairs (VA) also approves schools to accept G.I. Bill funding.

Big Sky Code Bootcamp: Veterans can take Big Sky’s Web Development or Data Science classes in Missoula, MT.
Cincy Code IT Bootcamps: IT and Javascript classes are available at this in-person school in Cincinnati, OH.
Coding Dojo: Coding Dojo in Seattle, WA offers beginners and advanced classes for veterans to become developers.
Galvanize: Located in Denver and Boulder, CO, vets can take classes to learn coding languages, frameworks and other computer science fundamentals.
General Assembly: The Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, NYC and Washing, D.C. locations accept G.I. Bill benefits for a range of software and design classes.
New Horizons Computer Learning Centers: New Horizons has various locations throughout the U.S. and teaches IT skills.
Turing School: Turing School in Denver, CO offers a seven-months accelerated computer training program.

Other Ways for Veterans to Pay for College

If you still want to find additional sources to help you pay off your tuition, you can check out these veteran- and military-specific financial aid programs.

Navy College Fund: The Navy College Fund works as an additional means to fund your higher education pursuits if you meet the criteria.
National Call to Service: This program is granted to those who served on active duty for 15 months or more and then 24 months in active status without a break in service.
Veterans Education Assistance Program: With this program, the government matches your contributions on a 2-for-1 basis.
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment: “VR&E” services are there to help veterans with job training, employment accommodations, resume writing and development and job seeking skills and coaching.

Additional Financial Resources for Veterans

There are branch-specific programs that facilitate the learning of technical skills. While the work isn’t usually accredited, it does help service members develop vocational and practice skills that can carry over to other service-based careers.

Air Education and Training Command: This is offered exclusively to Air Force members and designed to improve their technical knowledge.
Enlisted Education Program: This program is great for service members that have little to no college background. Service members can complete an associate degree during enlistment, and credits are transferable to over two dozen participating schools.
Naval Education and Training Command: Administered by the Department of Navy, this program offers educational opportunities for seamen.
NCO Program: The NCO program offers civilian degrees that also aid in military advancement.
U.S. Coast Guard Educational Services: This program provides assistance for active-duty Coast Guard members who want to attend college.
U.S. Marine Corps Education and Training Command: This program offers Marines by offering classes that teach concepts like policies and planning.

Tips for Veterans Going to College

To help you find the best scholarships out there, you should do your research on the schools you’re applying to. This could help you fasttrack your degree by making sure your credits are transferrable or even save you money by helping you find schools that work best with your G.I. Bill funding.

Seek out properly-accredited schools: Not all colleges are equal. Schools without proper accreditation may complicate your educational pursuits down the road. Here’s a list of accredited schools as specified by the U.S. Department of Education.
Check out VA’s approved schools list: The VA has a list of approved schools that are approved for G.I. Bill funding.
Compare benefits from multiple schools: This G.I. Bill comparison tool shows you how different universities and colleges will affect your funding.
See if you can get credit for prior military experience: Some colleges and universities follow the American Council on Education Military Guide, which offers credits for courses taken while in the service.
Read the VA’s considerations on how to choose a school: The VA has a guide discussing what factors to consider when choosing a school. Read it to make sure you’re making the most informed decision.

Hopefully our guide has given you an idea of where to look and what opportunities are available to veterans and their families! To save even more money, check out our list of veteran discounts or check out the deals you can get on military-inspired apparel and patriotic gear with these Eagle Six Gear coupons.