Money and coins in jar with graduation cap ()
Whether you are a military spouse seeking to go to school (or go back to school), a service member ready to use the GI Bill or take some classes for your next promotion or a parent ready to send your children off to school, college is expensive, and everyone can use some extra money to ease those costs. Here are 12 scholarship opportunities for you to explore:
Spouses:
The National Military Family Association (NMFA): Applications are open year-round, and the scholarship covers fees related to degrees from GEDs to Ph.D.s, professional licensing and certification, supervised clinical hours, business expenses and more.
My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA): Open to spouses of active-duty service members between the ranks of E-1 to E-6, W-1 to W-2 and O-1 to O-3 pursuing or maintaining a license or certification or an associate degree. (I used mine to become a certified yoga instructor). The scholarship is worth up to $4,000 with a cap of $2,000 per fiscal year.
Children:
Scholarships for Military Children: Open to high-school students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher or college students with a GPA of 2.5 or higher who complete the required forms and a short essay.
American Patriot Scholarship: This is limited to students who qualify for Military Officers Association of America’s “interest-free loan program and whose military parent has died on active service or is receiving Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (T-SGLI) payments.” As of now, scholarships are worth $7,000 each year.
Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation: Open to children and stepchildren of Marines who demonstrate financial need and have a minimum 2.0 GPA.
Multiple categories:
ThanksUSA: Scholarships for college, technical and vocation schooling are open to spouses and children of service members who demonstrate financial need.
Pat Tillman Foundation: Open to service members, veterans and military spouses pursuing a four-year undergraduate or graduate degree. Applicants must provide a resume and a character recommendation as well as complete a short biography and two essay questions. Scholarships are worth, on average, around $10,000.
AMVETS Scholarships: Open to veterans, active-duty service members, military spouses, children and grandchildren of service members and veterans who are pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree and demonstrate financial need. Applications are open on or around Jan. 15 through April 30. Applicants must submit a resume and a required essay along with the application.
Army Emergency Relief Scholarships: Open to military spouses and children pursuing an undergraduate degree. Spouse applications are open year-round. Children’s applications close around April 1.
VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship”: Open to service members and veterans who separated with or hold a current rank of E-5 and below; these are worth up to $5,000. Applications are open between Jan. 1 through April 30 and Aug. 1 through Nov. 15.
Wings Over America Scholarship Foundation: Open to “dependent children and spouses of active duty, retired, honorably discharged, or deceased Enlisted or Officer U.S. Navy personnel who serve or have served in U.S. Navy Aviation.” The scholarship covers tuition costs for community college, four-year undergraduate degrees or trade schools at a value of around $5,000 for most scholarships.
General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant: Open to children, spouses and surviving spouses of Air Force and Space Force members who demonstrate financial need (some Guard and Reserve families may qualify as well). Grants are worth between $500 and $4,000.
Bonus: Your local spouses’ club
Check out the spouse club at your installation, as they often sponsor scholarships for military spouses and children.
