In 2000, a handful of U.S. Army veterans joined together to develop plans for establishing a foundation to assist the needy sons and daughters of soldiers and Army veterans in obtaining higher education. In 2006, the scholarship program was expanded to include spouses of enlisted military.
The scholarship program is available nationally to families or caregivers of Army veterans, active duty military, Guard and Reserve; and children of any of the above. About 50 scholarships are awarded annually. The amount of award ranges from $500 to $2000 for undergraduate studies at accredited educational/technical institutions and currently our annual scholarship awards average $1000 per student. Scholarship recipients may apply to renew their scholarships annually for a total of four years of higher education but renewal is not automatic.
To be eligible, the Army parent must have served honorably for at least three months and must have an honorable discharge from the service. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic record and participation in school and community activities. The student must have a GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, and be a U.S. citizen. Applicants who are the children of soldiers must be 24 or younger. (Applicants may not have reached their 24th birthday by the application deadline date in the year they apply.)
To apply, the individual must download an application form from the ASF website (www.armyscholarshipfoundation.org), and submit it between 1 February and 15 April. The student needs to complete this application and mail it, together with the specific attachments, which include: a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a signed copy of the appropriate income tax return for the previous year, a certificate of good service or the parent's/spouse's DD 214, a high school transcript and transcripts from all post high school educational institutions if applicable, an essay and a photograph to the address on the application. The application needs to be mailed by the due date, 15 April. The Foundation does not acknowledge each application but announces awards within six months after the deadline.
As a general rule, the family income cannot exceed the annual pay and allowances of an active duty Sergeant Major, pay grade of E-9, but each family's situation is evaluated individually. Consideration is given for additional eligible children in college.
