College Funding for Grandkids of Military Personnel?

What's up? I'm about to be a senior and granddad was in the Air Force back in his day. I was wondering if there are scholarships out there for grandchildren of military veterans? Any details about how to discover and apply for them would be super useful!

Hi there!

The connection you share with your grandfather's military service can certainly open opportunities for you to explore military-related scholarships. However, many of these scholarships would typically be targetted towards dependents or children of military personnel, rather than grandchildren.

That said, you should still explore and understand what your options are. Among them, the American Legion offers various scholarships at national, state, and local levels, open to various levels of relation to a veteran. Each scholarship has its own eligibility criteria and application process so you'll want to read through those carefully and pay attention to deadlines.

Another potential avenue is the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) which offers multiple scholarships, some of which are open to descendants of veterans.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart Scholarship is for descendants of Purple Heart recipients, which may be another one to consider if your grandfather received this honor.

Furthermore, scholarships like those from the Veterans of Foreign Wars may be indirectly available to you if one of your parents is a member.

Therefore, your best course of action may be to research military/veterans' organizations as many offer scholarships. Make sure to check with local branches in your area too - sometimes they may have more specific scholarships available to relatives of military personnel.

Once you identify suitable scholarships, follow the instructions for each application carefully, as they may require essays, recommendation letters, and proof of your relationship to your veteran grandparent.

Keep on top of deadlines and good luck with your scholarship hunt! Remember, while these military-based scholarships are a great opportunity, there also are plenty of other scholarships that you're eligible for based on your grades, extracurricular activities, or intended major. All the best!