College Scholarships for Military Children & Spouses

Many students don't realize that their parents' jobs could impact their scholarship search! This especially holds true for children of military service members. April is Month of the Military Child. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, "There are more than 1.6 million military children who face many challenges and unique experiences as a result of their parents' service." Scholarship providers look to help pay for school, perhaps in part, to thank service members, their families and children for all they do for the country, directly or indirectly. Military children and military spouses uniquely qualify for many scholarships. There are also scholarship directory pages specific to college scholarships for military veterans and college scholarships for disabled military veterans.

For Spouses, Children of Those Who Served and Made the Ultimate Sacrifice

We offer our sincere condolences and would like to thank you for his/her service. In addition to Fastweb.com, we invite you to visit TAPS.org (Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors). TAPS offers a scholarship finder specific to the children and spouses of fallen service members.

Military Scholarships

Discover college scholarships for children and spouses of military service members, below:

Children of Veterans Scholarship

Deadline: 5/30/25
Available to: High School Seniors
Award Amount: Varies The Children of Veterans Scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors who are the children of US military veterans and active duty US military. To be considered, you must submit a 500 word - essay on the following topic: "What does it mean to be a child of a veteran?"

Veterans and Family Scholarship

Deadline: 5/31/25
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: Varies The Veterans and Family Scholarship is available to military veterans and their families. You must be pursuing a career in STEM, education, or sustainability and have at least a 3.0 GPA to be eligible for this award.

Purple Heart Scholarship Program

Deadline: 6/1/25
Available to: High School Seniors & College Students
Award Amount: Varies The Purple Heart Scholarship Program is available to high school seniors and full - time college students. To be eligible for this award, you must meet one of the following conditions: Purple Heart recipient who is a Member of the MOPH, spouse of a Purple Heart recipient who is a member of MOPH, direct lineal descendent (child, step-child, adopted child, grandchild, step-grandchild, or great grandchild) of a Purple Heart recipient who is a Member of MOPH, or spouse, widow / widower, or direct lineal descendent as defined above of a service member killed - in - action or who died of wounds. A minimum GPA of 2.75 is also required.

Naval Horizons Essay Contest

Deadline: 6/16/25
Available to: High School & College Students
Award Amount: $200 The Naval Horizons Essay Contest is available to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students who are U.S. citizens. To be eligible for this award, you must complete the following steps: 1. Watch a series of videos to learn about U.S. Navy and Marine Corps STEM research areas and people. 2. Choose one of the STEM topics highlighted in the videos, conduct additional research on the subject, and compose a 500 - 1,500-word essay. Your essay needs to include: STEM research area, people, and the future.

NERA College Scholarship

Deadline: 6/30/25
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $1,000 - $2,000 The NERA College Scholarship is available to undergraduate and graduate students. To be eligible, you must be a currently serving reserve, active, or IRR member of the United States Armed Forces; be a dependent of someone currently serving in the United States Armed Forces; or be a spouse, son, daughter, or grandchild sponsored by a current NERA member.

USAC Military Service Scholarship

Deadline: 10/1/25
Available to: Undergraduate Students
Award Amount: Varies
The USAC Military Service Scholarship is available to degree - seeking students who are U.S. Military Personnel (active or veteran status) and their dependents (child or spouse). You must have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for this award.

NorthAmerican.com Military Scholarship Competition

Deadline: 12/15/25
Available to: High School Seniors & Undergraduate Students
Award Amount: $1,000
The NorthAmerican.com Military Scholarship Competition is open to current and former active duty military and their dependents. You must be majoring in military logistics, supply chain management, or operational management to be eligible for this award.

NMFA Military Spouse Scholarship

Deadline: Varies
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: Varies
The NMFA Military Spouse Scholarship is available to the spouses of members of the seven Uniformed Services, dual - service military spouses, and divorced spouses who receive 20/20/20 benefits. You must have, or be eligible to hold, a valid military ID to be eligible for this award.

Fallen Heroes Scholarship

Deadline: Rolling
Available to: Undergraduate Students
Award Amount: $2,500
The Fallen Heroes Scholarship is available to the unmarried dependent children of enlisted and commissioned men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard who lost their lives in Coast Guard land, air, or sea operations. You must be working towards your first undergraduate degree and be under the age of 24 to be eligible for this award.

My Career Advancement Account Scholarship

Deadline: Varies
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $4,000
The My Career Advancement Account Scholarship for Military Spouses is available to spouses of service members on active duty in pay grades E-1 to E-5, W-1 to W-2, and O-1 to O-2. Spouses married to members of the National Guard and reserves in these same pay grades are also eligible. Additionally, you must be in pursuit or maintenance of a license, certification, or associate degree necessary to gain employment in an occupation or career field.

Additional Help for Active Duty Service Members and Veterans

Active duty and veteran military service members can get more than just scholarships to help support their higher education experience. A variety of programs and organizations exist to help these men and women transition into the college classroom. One such program is the Warrior-Scholar Program. This program works with the country's top colleges and universities to provide one- and two-week bootcamps for veterans and service members transitioning to college campuses. Through lectures, workshops, and one-on-one mentoring, incoming college students are taught the skills they need to thrive in the classroom and to acclimate to the college campus setting. Much of the programming is run by student veterans who have successfully transitioned from service to college. More information about the Warrior-Scholar Program.

Looking for more military-related information? Contact a recruiter to learn more about the educational benefits offered by the military, or visit Military.com.