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Let’s face it: School is expensive! Not only is submitting university applications costly, but so are the finalities of residency, textbooks, commuting and maintaining a household while in school.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill is a great education benefit, but if you don’t qualify for 100 percent coverage or it doesn’t cover all of your education costs, there are other options. Education scholarships, grants and fellowships exist for the academia-bound veteran, along with options for family members and military personnel serving in positions within the Department of Defense.
We’ll take a look at a few scholarships and other post 911 GI Bill benefits to help guide you to even more funding.
Tillman Military Scholarships
- This scholarship for veterans and service members working on an undergraduate or graduate degree is provided by the Pat Tillman Foundation in honor of Pat Tillman, a former NFL player who was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 while serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment.
- The scholarship is open to all veterans (both pre- and post-9/11 veterans) and active duty service members whose educational benefits have run out or are insufficient to meet their needs.
- The scholarship varies in stipends and lasts one year, but may be renewed and applies to those who are enrolled full time and are active, documented participants in civic action and community service.
- Visit pattillmanfoundation.org for more information.
AMVETS National Scholarships for Veterans
- AMVET members who are veterans and U.S. citizens are eligible.
- Students must be working full time on undergraduate, graduate, or certification from an accredited trade or technical school.
- Must have exhausted all government aid, and selection is based on “financial need, academic promise, military duty and awards, volunteer activities, community services, jobs held within four years, and an essay of 50-100 words about ‘What a Higher Education Means to Me.'”
- Stipend is $1,000 a year for up to four years.
- Visit amvets.org/programs/scholarships.html for more information.
Imagine America Military Award Program
- For veterans and military personnel interested in attending a participating career college.
- Open to active duty service members, reservists, and honorably discharged and retired veterans of a U.S. military branch. Must have access to tuition assistance and government-supported financial aid through the GI Bill and other programs.
- Applications are submitted online to the college where the student wishes to enroll.
- Stipend is $1,000, and the deadline is June of each year.
- Visit imagine-america.org for more information.
While not a scholarship (it’s an earned benefit), the Post-9/11 GI Bill is worth noting as an excellent resource for veterans (Check out: The Post 9-11 GI Bill: How Generous Is It?).
- This bill’s purpose is to provide financial assistance to veterans and military personnel who’ve entered service on or after Sept. 11, 2001.
- Eligible individuals include current and former military members who have served on active duty for at least 90 aggregate days after Sept. 11, 2001.
Financial data:
- Active-duty personnel receive payment of tuition and fees, up to the level of tuition and fees at the most expensive public institution of higher learning in their state of residence – the actual amount depends on the state of residence and the length of service completed.
- Veterans also receive a monthly housing allowance based on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents if the location of the school they are attending is in the United States (or $1,333 per month at schools in foreign countries); an annual book allowance of $1,000; and (for participants who live in a rural county remote from an educational institution) a rural benefit payment of $500 per year.
Duration: Most participants receive up to 36 months of entitlement under this program.
Happy fund-hunting, and may you find the right scholarships for you!
READ NEXT: Use Your GI Bill for Certification and Training
Resources:
- -“Financial Aid for Veterans, Military Personnel, and Their Families,” a text compiled by Gail Ann Schlacter and R. David Weber.
- “The Complete Guide to Veterans’ Benefits: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply” By Bruce C. Brown
