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Military families have access to many resources to lessen the stresses of military life. Three significant stressors are finances, education, and career development. Luckily, many organizations offer military spouses and children scholarships to help lessen the burden and provide financial assistance.
From starting school to starting a business, several scholarships are available for military spouses and children looking to invest in a new endeavor.
When considering applying for scholarships for military children and spouses, be sure to put in the time and effort to correctly fill out each application. Some scholarship programs require a simple questionnaire, while others may request an essay, so make sure every piece of information is accurate and stands out from other applicants. Start by making a list of scholarships you are eligible for, draft out your answers, and seek help from peers, your academic institution, or a career development program if necessary. Many military family members will be applying, so don't be afraid to brag about yourself and show off why you deserve the scholarship!
Many organizations offer scholarships for military spouses and children. Below are some of the most significant programs available, but it doesn't hurt to see if any local community scholarships are available. Some family support centers, military spouse clubs, and school financial aid departments have money set aside for scholarships.
Scholarships for Military Spouses
NMFA's Scholarships and Career Funds Program
Sponsored by the National Military Family Association, this program grants scholarships to active-duty spouses, retired, and reserve members with an average value of $1,000. The NMFA scholarship helps spouses pursue degrees, certifications, licensure, clinical supervision for mental health licensure, CEUs, business costs, and more.
My Career Advancement Account Scholarship Program
MyCAA is an initiative of the Department of Defense Spouse Education and Career Opportunities, or SECO, to help military spouses pursue a license, certification, or Associate's degree in a portable career field and occupation. This scholarship provides up to $4,000 of financial assistance to eligible military spouses to help achieve career goals.
ThanksUSA Military Scholarships
The ThanksUSA military scholarship program has awarded 4,500 scholarships for military families since 2006. This program is available to both military spouses and children, and they offer four types of unique scholarship offerings:
Purdue University Global/Thanks USA Scholarships: Offers eight full-tuition scholarships through ThanksUSA for eligible military spouses and dependent children.
Linda J. Romeo Scholarship: A $4,000 scholarship will be awarded to a female military spouse residing in the National Capital Region attending Northern Virginia Community College.
Helping Hand Scholarship: Awards the renewable Helping Hand Scholarship to a disabled or fallen military member's spouse or child.
Pathways for Patriots: Engages corporations from specific industries to create pipelines of military spouses and children to provide professional development through networking, mentoring, and internship opportunities.
Scholarships for Military Children
Military Child of the Year Award
This annual award honors seven military children from the ages of 13 to 18. Of the seven, six will represent one branch of the armed forces based on scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, extracurricular involvement, and other criteria. The seventh award is the Military Child of the Year® Award for Innovation that goes to a military child who has designed an innovative solution to address a local, regional, or global challenge.
Military Commanders' Scholarship Fund
The Military Commanders' Scholarship fund awards children of select active duty, reserve, National Guard, or retired members of the United States military to obtain a college education. Scholarships are offered annually to an accredited institution of the student's choice for full-time study and award students $5,000 to apply toward a college education. Two awards will be given per branch of service - Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard.
Scholarships for Military Children
Scholarships for Military Children is a program created to recognize the service of military members and their families. The program aims to celebrate the role of commissaries in military life and is primarily funded by the supplier and manufacturers whose products are sold at military commissaries. A total of 500 scholarship grants, each for $2,000, are awarded to at least one recipient selected at every commissary location where qualified applications are received.
Scholarships for military spouses and children are a great way to get your next endeavor underway, whether it's starting a new career or obtaining a new degree or certificate. There are many applicants to these scholarship programs. Taking the time to apply and prove you deserve this opportunity can greatly impact your life. Military life has its challenges, so be sure to take advantage of the advantages available to you and apply!
