Veterans Of Foreign Wars Scholarship 2024 - Scholarships to Study Abroad

There are lots of scholarships out there for high school students whether for Hispanic students or those that want to join the healthcare field. But if you love scholarships that were created by the values of service and patriotism, you’re a high school student with a connection to the military, or a veteran seeking continued education, then this Veterans of Foreign Wars scholarship might be for you.

This is not just an ordinary scholarship, it stands as a means to honor veterans who honorably served, and also empower the next generation. The scholarship was created by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States which is a nonprofit veterans service organization comprised of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, guard, and reserve forces.

After the challenge of 1989 that led to the creation of VFW, it has yielded better results than anticipated, such as helping fund the creation of the Vietnam, Korean War, World War II, and Women in Military Service memorials, etc.

That said, we would encourage you not to only depend on this scholarship, if you are a grandchild of a veteran of the Korean War, you can take advantage of these scholarships, and even if you’re a vegetarian, there are also some financial assistance for you.

Let’s quickly get into the actual scholarship this blog is meant for.

Table of Contents

About Veterans Of Foreign Wars Scholarship

VFW Scholarship provides different kinds of scholarships to support high school students and eligible veterans longing to return to school. By the way, there are a handful of scholarships for women who want to return to school.

The first category of scholarships we would love to discuss is their Voice of Democracy, which, of course, is for high school students. VFW provides a $35,000 college scholarship in the form of a contest to the national first-place winner which is paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college, or vocational/technical school. Other recipients get to win a scholarship amount between $1,000-$21,000, and the first-place winner from each VFW Department (state) wins at least a scholarship of $1,000.

Also, there is the Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest where almost 68,800 students in sixth through eighth grades apply to stand a chance to win their share of nearly $1 million in state and national awards. Each first-place state winner receives a minimum of $500 at the national level and the national first-place winner wins $5,000!

One of the beauties of the Patriot’s Pen scholarship is that it pushes these kids to pay more attention to America’s history. This knowledge plus their personal experiences in modern American society will be needed to draft a 300- to 400-word essay.

Veterans of Foreign Wars scholarship also provides the Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship exclusively for service members and veterans. This up to $5,000 worth of scholarships provides the financial assistance they need to complete their educational goals without incurring excessive student loan debt.

There are also VFW scholarships for dependents known as VFW’s Student Veteran Support Grant which was created with the understanding that both funding and support for student veterans and dependents at institutions of higher learning, can often be difficult to find. Grants may be awarded up to $500 to support each event, and grants can be awarded to a VFW entity twice each fiscal year, totaling up to $1,000.

VFW Scholarship Requirements

Since we listed 4 VFW scholarships and grants, we’ll be listing each of their eligibility here so you can find it easier to know where you or your kid fit in.

Voice of Democracy Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for VFW’s Voice of Democracy Scholarship, you must;

In grades 9-12
Be enrolled in a public, private, or parochial high school or home study program in the United States, its territories and possessions; or dependents of U.S. military or civilian personnel in overseas schools.
Students must be lawful U.S. permanent residents or have applied for permanent residence and intend to become U.S. citizens at the earliest opportunity

Patriot’s Pen Rules and Eligibility

To be eligible, your kid must;

Be in 6th, 7th or 8th-grade
Should either be in public, private, or parochial schools in the U.S., its territories, or its possessions.
Home-schooled students also are eligible.
Students must be lawful U.S. permanent residents or have applied for
permanent residence and intends to become a U.S. citizen at the earliest opportunity allowed by law.

VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship”

To be eligible for this Veterans of Foreign Wars scholarship, you must:

Be a citizen of the United States.
Be retired, honorably discharged, active duty, or a member of the National Guard or Reserve.
Have completed Basic Training and follow-on training (Advanced Individual Training, technical school, etc.).
Separated with or currently holds a military rank of E-5 or below.
Demonstrate a need for financial assistance.
Participate in, be accepted to, or currently enrolled in a VA-approved program or school at an accredited post-secondary institution.

VFW’s Student Veteran Support Grant

To be eligible for these VFW scholarships for dependents, you must:

Be VFW members associated with an appropriate entity of the VFW (VFW Post, District, Department, or National).
Appropriate VFW Post, District, Department, or National leadership serve as the convening authority on the grant request and is responsible for receiving funds.
Funds must be utilized for events and outreach designed to assist and support veterans currently enrolled in institutions of higher learning.

How To Apply For Veterans Of Foreign Wars Scholarship

First of all, to apply for the VFW’s Voice of Democracy scholarship you need to download their pdf form, which explains everything about the scholarship regarding where to submit your entry, the rules, the deadline, and then an application you need to fill out.

You also need to download the pdf form of the Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest, and just like the former scholarship, it will explain the contest, why you need to enter, the deadline, who can enter, and an application form.

The VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” uses a different approach, you’ll need to register, or sign in if you already have an account with them.

Finally, to apply for the VFW’s Student Veteran Support Grant, you will be redirected to another page where you need to fill out a form. You can also decide to request guidelines for submitting an SVA Grant.

Key Takeaway

You can see that these Veterans of Foreign Wars scholarships are not just financial aid, but they are truly an investment in your or your kid’s future. The scholarship won’t only provide financial assistance but will also align you with their vibrant community of individuals who have the same values as you.

Veterans Of Foreign Wars Scholarship