Scholarships: Veterans Day Edition

According to Military.com, there are approximately $300 million in scholarships and grants available to military service men and women, their spouses and dependents.  In addition, many of these opportunities are available to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren that have served our country.  Some of these scholarships do not require legacy status, instead reinforcing areas of study important to our troops.

There are a lot of ways to find out about these scholarships.  When registering with scholarship search engines, such as fastweb.com, scholarships.com or scholarshipexperts.com, be sure to indicate you are veteran (or active military), spouse, or dependent.  These sites will generate some scholarship opportunities for you.  Better yet, a great place to start your search is www.mymilitaryeducation.org. Once you are on their home page, type scholarships in their search box and you will be directed to the Comprehensive List of Veteran/Military Scholarships for Service Members, Spouses and Dependents. Students pursuing nursing degrees should look at local, regional, and national veteran scholarship opportunities. Some of them do not stipulate a necessary veteran relationship, such as The American Legion “The Eight and Forty Lung and Respiratory Disease Nursing Scholarship.” Other disciplines including engineering, should also evaluate veterans organizations for scholarships.

Locally, there are many organizations that offer scholarships for students in the St. Louis Metro Area.  For example, IL AMVETS offers several scholarship opportunities for traditional four-year programs, nursing students, and trade school scholarships.  The Missouri Legion offers seven different scholarships, including the Commanders Scholarship, the Lillie Lois Ford Scholarship and the Shane Dean Voyles Memorial Scholarship.  These scholarships, as well as others for St. Louis area students can be found at www.csorganizer.com. 

As with all scholarship searches, being organized, and allowing time to search and read eligibility criteria are important.  Many applications will ask for the same information so it is important to gather it all in one place, such as the CSO: College Scholarship Organizer, then use your time to apply, avoiding redundant searches for eligibility documentation.  If applying as a grandchild or great grandchild, you will need to contact the grandparent or other survivor to get necessary qualification information.  Some veteran scholarships listed do not open until January or later, but it is important not to wait until then to begin the search and collecting the necessary documentation.  As a rule, scholarships applications are accepted year-round, keeping a file of scholarships to apply for in the next year will reduce the time spent re-searching, and help prevent missed opportunities.

Good luck and remember to thank our veterans for service and dedication for our freedoms, including the freedom to pursue our educational goals.